Ghostbusters: Exodus
by navydave32
Summary: In Texas, a relative of the original New York Ghostbusters begins a franchise of the famous public protectors. When business gets good, too good, an interdimensional danger threatens Austin, Texas. Can the new group of Ghostbusters solve the mystery and equip themselves to save the city and possibly the entire human race before it is too late?


Ghostbusters

Exodus

Based on story and characters created by

DAN AYKROYD

HAROLD RAMIS

INT – DIXIE CHICKEN – NIGHT

We're in a bar, and the place is packed. We pan around. Everyone is going on, enjoying themselves. We see one table with a guy and his pitcher of beer. Close up on a class ring as they drop it into the bottom of the pitcher. They slide the pitcher in front of a guy who is smiling ear to ear. He grabs the pitcher and downs the entire thing in one shot (camera shot). Everyone is yelling and screaming with congratulations. He gets the ring out and slides it on his finger. As we go from shot to shot, we begin to see slime dripping from various places. Cut to a couple of guys talking and yelling to each other at a bar. After they say a number of things and slap each other on the backs, one guy slides his shot glass back to the bartender.

Guy

Another of 151, please, my man.

It comes back full of a thick, mucus looking slime. He takes the shot and spits it out like any good drunk would. He wipes his mouth off in a drunk, disgusted way.

Guy

What the hell?

He turns back around and looks at the bar tender. The bar tender is a terrible, horrifying rotten skeleton gripping the Bacardi 151 bottle. The ghost is staring down the customer with a really bad look. Cut back to the people at the bar look up and are scared pooless. They push slightly away from the bar. There's a burst of light, and wind kicks up, blowing their hair back as they all scream.

The credits come in with Ray Parker Jr. theme. GHOSTBUSTERS: EXODUS is across the screen. We get a number of beauty shots of College Station and Austin.

INT – NEW YORK SUBS – NIGHT

We get a shot of a news paper headline illustrating the fact that there has been an incredible increase of ghost sightings. Over the past three months there had been over a hundred reports of ghosts and poltergeists to 911 Emergency. Is it simply a fad, one sighting feeding another? The entire article will have to be written. We cut to a close up of a beautiful set of eyes. Cut back to another article on the page. A red circle is around the headline. "Ash and Brandon" is written next to it in the same red. "Bananas." Cut back to a profile shot of a beautiful woman sitting at a table in a restaurant. A guy with a mohawk sits down at the table with a pair of drinks. She pushes the paper to the side.

Clayton

So, who did you like best?

Amanda

Well, the guys at L3 seemed to have been really impressed.

Clayton

Who did _you_ like the best?

Amanda

Personally, L3.

Clayton

(surprised)

L3, wow. Building specops air planes, huh? Why them?

Amanda

I really liked the environment created by the people there. Really no BS.

Clayton

Any offers come out of them?

Amanda

I have two job offers right now, development and wind tunnel testing.

Clayton

Awesome! Congra-

Clayton's phone rings.

Clayton

Hello.

(beat)

Tomorrow at seven.

(beat)

Yes, the hall meeting is still on.

(beat)

Awesome.

(beat as he closes the phone)

So, who else has shown interest?

Amanda

Budweiser, General Dynamics, and Stay Puft Marshmallows.

Clayton leans his head back and narrows his eyes.

Clayton

Yeah. L-3. It should put a pretty penny in your pocket.

Passer by

Sacred Hart Militia! Yeah!

Clayton puts the devil horns up.

Clayton

Rock on.

Amanda

(annoyed)

Always the popular one.

Clayton

What can I say? You take over all of the food services restaurants on campus by force and make them sign terms of surrender, suddenly everyone likes you.

Two guys walk in the door.

Ash

Clayton Whittle!

Ash walks in with Brandon behind him, carefully working on something in his hands.

Ash (cont'd)

And the beautiful and amazing Amanda Groux.

Ash kisses her hand. She giggles in return, pleased to see Ash.

Amanda

Hello, Ash, Brandon.

Brandon shakes her hand with a smile.

Amanda (cont'd)

What have you guys been doing?

Ash

We just got back from New York. I tagged along on Brandon's internship.

Amanda

Doing what?

Clayton

(sarcastically)

Busting ghosts.

Amanda

(impressed)

You were actually doing that?

Brandon

We sure were. It was quite a learning experience.

Amanda gathers her things.

Amanda

Is it real?

Ash

Oh yeah. I saw things that turned even me white.

Amanda

Wow. What are ghosts like?

Ash

They're all different. Some of them are funny, like cartoons, others are really scary.

Clayton

They sent me a bunch of material a couple of months ago.

Brandon

Have you read up on any of it?

Clayton

(Shrugs)

For the most part, yeah.

Amanda

I have to run, guys. Good seeing you again. I'm sure we'll run into each other again soon.

(beat)

Have a good night, Clayton.

Ash watches her walk out, tracking her just with his eyes.

Ash

All this time, and you _still_ haven't given her an undisturbed dinner, have you?

Clayton shrugs.

Ash

Right. You guys want anything?

Clayton

Chugger.

Brandon

Sprite, please.

Ash goes up to the counter.

Clayton

Welcome back to town, man.

Brandon

Thanks. New York is something. It's so big. It's great being back in College Station.

Clayton

Yeah. How was the internship?

Brandon

Great. It's still up in the air as to if I'm going to get credit for it or not. Even though the Ghostbusters is a nationally recognized organization, universities are still really skeptical of them. Some people still think they're phony.

Clayton

Yeah, well, I can see why.

Brandon stops working on what he has and looks at Clayton.

Brandon

What is that supposed to mean?

Clayton

Well, I just think it's really weird. Do you really think Texas will be a good place for this kind of thing?

Brandon

I do think so. With the history Texas has as a whole, we should have business.

Clayton

Do you even know how to work that stuff?

Brandon

Of course.

Brandon clips the battery door back on his PKE meter and turns it on. The ears on the thing shoot up.

Brandon (cont'd)

My god, this place is crawling with psycho-kinetic activity!

Beat as Clayton watches Brandon play with his little PKE meter.

Clayton

So, if things do pan out?

Brandon

We're going to go forward with a franchise in Austin.

Clayton

And you want me to help.

Brandon

If you would.

Clayton

And you guys know this equipment well enough to use it with confidence?

Brandon

Yeah. We got plenty of training while we were up in New York.

Clayton

Alright, so let me get this straight. You're going to give your physics major up to start this business?

Brandon

Not 'give up.' Put on hold is more like it.

Clayton

Alright. Not only are you going to give that up, but you're going to ask me to give up my communications major and marketing minor.

Brandon

(interrupts)

Put on hold.

Clayton

'Put on hold,' in order to help you guys try to bust ghosts in mid-Texas?

Brandon

I was thinking all of Texas, but yes.

A moment passes.

Clayton

(skeptical)

Your uncle started the Ghostbusters in New York, right? Ray Stantz?

Brandon

Yes.

Clayton

Alright, let's think about this. How many times have they been arrested doing their job?

Brandon

Five.

(beat as he ponders)

Six if you count the time they were thrown into the psych ward.

Clayton

Psych ward? Nice. You do know that they were taken to court, too, right?

Brandon

Well, yeah.

Clayton

Weren't they sued by the city, county, and state of New York for blowing the top off a high rise and some how creating a hundred foot tall marshmallow man?

Brandon bites his lip and nods.

Clayton shakes his head. Ash returns.

Clayton

Brandon is telling me about your Ghostbusters endeavor.

Ash

Yeah?

Clayton

What do you think about this?

Ash

Awesome. There's nothing like fighting a ghost, my man.

He takes a drink of beer.

Clayton

How do those proton packs work?

Ash (cont'd)

This stuff is a marvel of technology.

(beat)

You know about supercolliders and that kind of stuff, right? Atom smashers.

Clayton

Yeah. Don't we have one on campus?

Ash

Yeah. It's state of the art and it takes up an _entire_ building. What the Ghostbusters use is a supercollider that is so small that it fits on your back.

(beat)

And their technology is twenty years old.

Clayton

You're kidding.

Ash

Nope. It's crude, but it's extremely safe and effective.

Clayton

So, what's the plan with the franchise?

Ash

More gear is going to be sent to us. We were hoping you could be another hand. In addition to being another body, your marketing skills could come in very handily.

Clayton nods.

Clayton

Didn't someone start one out in Colorado, too?

Brandon

Yes. Egon Spangler's nephew started it. They're working pretty well.

Clayton

Family business, huh?

Ash

So, what do you think?

Clayton shifts his eyes between them and lifts his brow.

Clayton

Well, if you're behind it, there's no reason I shouldn't be. I'll give it a shot.

Brandon

Excellent.

Clayton takes a drink of beer or whatever he's drinking.

Clayton

Have you talked to your SEAL buddies lately?

Ash

Yeah. They're busy, man. You were with 24th recon, right?

Clayton

Yeah.

Ash

Yeah, a squadron from Team FOUR is working with the 24th right now.

Clayton

(smiling)

Yeah, that's what I heard. Northern Syria, right?

Ash

You got it. I see you're still staying in shape. I bet Amanda likes that.

Clayton nods with a long smile across his face.

Ash

How many pull ups can you do?

Clayton puts a three fingers up with his right hand and one with his left, mouthing the word thirty-one.

They're interrupted by screaming from outside. Dozens of people are running down the street. The three of them go to the door. As the people run by, there is a guy, the owner of a place, standing outside with his hands on his head. They walk up to him.

Ash

What's going on, manno?

Bar Owner

I have a poltergeist driving all my customers away, and the cops don't believe me. This is the third time this has happened! I'm gunna go out of business!

Brandon

A poltergeist?

Ash and Brandon look at each other. Ash forces a frown and shrugs.

EXT – PARKING LOT – NIGHT

They walk up to Ash's Dodge Magnum.

Clayton

A station wagon?

Ash smiles and nods.

Ash

Oh yeah, 'rocks the house. Check this stuff out.

Ash opens the rear hatch to reveal three proton packs and several traps.

Clatyon

No way.

Brandon

Oh, yes.

Clayton

Well, you know what I said before I joined the Marines. Try anything once.

Brandon hands Clayton a uniform.

Clayton

Jump suits?

Ash

Flight suits.

Clayton

Oh, _flight_ suits, right.

They put the uniforms on quickly, Clayton has one of Brandon's on. It's name tag says Stantz. Quick montage of them pulling gloves on, lacing up boots, zipping up, etc. We see that Ash's has a GB2 patch on it. That's to denote that he was the second crew/shift in New York during the internship. Maybe it'll even be a GB3 patch.

Clayton puts his arms out in front of him. It's clear the uniform is way too small for him, wrapping around his buffness.

Clayton

A little tight, maybe?

Ash

Hey, it shows off your girlish figure.

Clayton

Yeah, right. I'll wear one of yours next time, Ash. You're a bit bigger than Brandon.

They get the packs on and tighten them down.

Clayton pulls the nuetrona wand and taps the end of the stick.

Clayton

This is the dangerous end, right?

Ash pushes it away from his direction.

Ash

Yes. It's just like a gun. Don't point it at anything you don't intend to destroy.

(beat)

And I do mean _destroy_.

Insert shot. Ash points at all of the knobs.

Ash

This is the trigger, this controls the length of the stream; righty tighty lefty loosy, and this controls the stream flow.

Clayton

Got it.

They begin walking away.

The soon-to-be Ghostbusters walk up to the crowd where the owner is standing with his hand on his head.

Ash

Have we tested this equipment since the refurbish?

Brandon

Yeah.

(beat)

I think so.

They step up. The crowd kind of quiets down.

Clayton

It's alright, guys and gals, we're here to help.

The owner looks up from a bench he's on.

Owner

Can you actually do something?

Brandon

Do colleges charge too much in tuition?

Ash pulls his wand.

Owner

Please! Anything you can.

Ash

Alright. Heat them up.

Ash and Brandon pull their wands and flip them on. They thunder and surge to life.

Ash

Let's cook.

They go inside to an empty bar. There's food everywhere, like a whole night's worth of dirty dishes. It's nasty! Clayton walks in nonchalantly. Brandon has the PKE meter out and is scanning the area. We get a whole lot of insert shots of these guys' faces as they're looking around the place. Ash is walking around with the nutrona wand propped up on his shoulder.

Brandon

Something's in here, alright.

Ash pulls the goggles down over his eyes. We get his POV. We see something scurrying around. Then, we see him point off behind the bar, Brandon walks around carefully. Clayton reluctantly makes his way around a few bar tables. Brandon has his finger on the trigger of his wand, and his eyes are wide. He's obviously very nervous. Brandon moves around behind the bar and sees it eating something. He lights his wand off in an explosion of light and proton stream. The ghost makes off, panting and furiously waving his arms, but Brandon keeps shooting thinking he has it. He shoots for four more seconds. Clayton and Ash start yelling at him with furious "whoas." Brandon stops, and Clayton is jumping up and down clapping his hands.

Clayton

Oh, I like this stuff, Ash, I like this!

Brandon huffs and puffs.

Brandon

(embarrassed)

Sorry, guys.

Ash goes over and kicks a smoldering chair over.

Ash

Jesus, man, lay off the damage, would you? We're going to be paying _him_.

Ash points to a fire extinguisher on the wall.

Ash (cont'd)

Clayton, get that extinguisher, would you? I forgot Brandon's a little heavy on the trigger.

Clayton

Yeah, good idea.

Clayton grabs it off the wall. He goes over and puts out a fire behind the bar. Thirty seconds pass as they look around. Clayton puts the extinguisher down and pulls his wand. The wind kicks up a little. Their hair starts to blow around. In this movement, the ghost jumps out. Clayton fires, and the ghost pulls away just in time. Clayton adjusts and fires again, forcing it over to Ash. Ash fires and gets the ghost.

Clayton lights off another beam and helps Ash hold the spook.

Brandon

Okay, guys, hold it!

Brandon pulls the trap off his belt, and the ghost groans and moans.

Ash

Clayton, shorten your stream, you're roasting me over here.

Ash slides on a pair of Oakley sunglasses to protect his eyes.

Clayton

Sorry, sorry.

Clayton adjusts one of the knobs on his wand, sparks quit falling off its end, and the ghost moves more toward the middle between them. There are a number of practical flashes going on, the proton streams throwing furiously.

Brandon

I'm throwing in the trap.

It rolls out between Clayton and Ash.

Brandon

Don't look directly at the trap!

(beat)

Trap's open!

Brandon hits the peddle once, and the trap doors open. A bright light comes out of the trap.

Brandon (cont'd)

Here we go, guys!

(beat)

Now!

Brandon hits it again, and the light gets brighter. The guys pull their streams off it, the ghost goes down into the trap, and the trap doors close. They all stand there and look at the trap, then at each other.

Clayton

Is it really in there?

Small noises come from the trap. The trap starts smoking.

Brandon

We got it!

Clayton

What a rush.

Clayton looks around at the rest of them.

Clayton (cont'd)

Well, now what? What do we do with it?

Ash smiles largely.

Ash

That's another advantage of the car.

EXT – THE BAR – NIGHT

Clayton about blows the door open. Brandon's holding the smoking trap for all to see at about neck level like it's some sort of vile cesspool of rotten chicken harboring an unhealthy amount of Indian food wrapped in burnt hair.

Clayton

We got it!

Someone

Did you get it?

Clayton

Oh, we owned its _ass_!

There is lots of chittering and chattering from the crowd.

Owner

You get it? You really get it? What was it?

Brandon

This is what we call a focused, non-repeating Class Three Full Roaming Vapor.

Owner

You guys are awesome! That was freaking great! What do I owe you?

Ash

One-thousand eighty four dollars and seventy-five cents.

Owner

It's a deal!

Girl in crowd

Who are you?

Clayton

(dramatically)

We are the newest – the local – the Ghostbusters!

Ash

Coming through, make way, please, class three phantasm here!

Now, _THE_ montage.

Montage – This is to establish that they are vastly busy, having been busting ghosts for perhaps the last two or three weeks straight, non-stop, baby.

We get a good look at Ash's Dodge Magnum with a roof full of ghost detecting and busting equipment. We get a look at the license plate. It reads Ecto RT8. The Ectomobile's hemi engine roars to life—and it does roar. Close-ups of the rotating lights as the two light bars come on. Strobes light up from all over, and the classic Ectomobile siren wails up. It's all going in an attention-getting frenzy. The Ecto-RT8 comes roaring out of its home and down the street.

Voice over the following action

In the news today is ghosts and ghost-busting. The New York based business has spread to Texas. Making their first bust in College Station, they are busy in the greater Austin area. Some speculate these paranormal busters are the source of it all.

Ash and Clayton make a bust. We have headlines of the Austin American Statesman, the Battalion in College Station, the Dallas Harold, and Men's Health. The health magazine has a picture of all three of them wearing proton packs without their shirts on for Men's Health. Ash and Clayton are ripped, and Brandon is scrawny. The cover of a car magazine featuring the ectomobile, and the American Scientist magazine has a picture of the trap and proton pack. There's a quick shot of the EPA putting a plate of approval on the containment unit.

We have a scene where there are three tripods set up with a trap set up between them. They're set up in some sort of lobby or some such place. It looks like two ghosts are trying to get out of a trap net, but can't. Brandon points to Ash, and Ash hits a thumb trigger. The trap opens up, and a brilliant light reflects off everything. The ghosts disappear into the trap, and they give a thumbs up.

Clayton has the goggles on, and he has an RC remote in his hands. He is peering around a corner as a little RC truck goes driving into the room. Clayton steers it over to a painting or exhibit in a museum or library. He parks it right beneath a ghost looking at the painting or reading a book. He flips a black and yellow stripped protective cover off a toggle switch before he flips the toggle. He pushes the button, and the trap doors open with a bright light. Cut to the trap in the foreground and Clayton in the background as the doors close. Thus we have another successful trapping.

Radio talk show host

Welcome back with the Boss on 590 KLBJ. We're here with Ash Rhine, one of the Austin Ghostbusters. Ash, what's up with all this ghost activity? To be honest, people think you're fakes. Supporting that theory is that there are at least twenty times the reported cases of ghosts and phantasms since your organization's arrival. You aren't responsible for these sightings are you?

Ash

No, we're not causing any of it. We're responding to the incredible increase in paranormal activity in the Greater Texas Area. This all started before we arrived.

Talk Show Host

For the girls out there, is it true you're strong enough to do the Iron Cross?

Ash

Well, yes, but that's something started about Clayton, and the September issue of Men's Health features the Austin Ghostbusters rather shirtless. I can say yes, he can…wearing a proton pack. Now, that's impressive.

Cutting into the scene is a full Men's Health picture of Clayton iron crossed on a pair of rings with a proton pack on.

Ecto-R/T is driving around town. Footage of Ecto-R/T going down 6th street, pulling into Sunset Valley and going into Barnes & Noble, coming out of Barnes & Noble with a smoking trap. Almost every trapping they have, there is either fanfare or media present. They are cruising over the Lake Austin bridge, pulling up in front of the capital, and traveling across other Austin landmarks. They come out of the capital building with two smoking traps with a smiling and appreciative mayor while being escorted by secret service and other security types. The mayor shakes all their hands. They are running through North Gate in CS or through a mall or down a sidewalk with their nutrona wands in hand.

Info babe

Mr. Whittle, how do you keep up the paranormal schedule you do?

Clayton

Well, the paycheck isn't bad, but to be honest, bustin' makes us feel good.

It shows them putting ghosts into the containment unit in the back of the car.

Radio host#2

Howdy Aggs, last night, Ring Dance was interrupted by some raunchy poltergeists tearing around the stage. The Ghostbusters swung in with their proton packs, saved the night, and stayed on to dance the night away with the beautiful and gorgeous girls of Ring Dance. The corps boys were a little upset over that amazing Ghostbuster charisma.

They are followed by people while carrying several live traps in their hands, media is asking them questions. They run around with Santa hats and smoking traps.

Brandon

We're having a Half Price Holiday Service Plan for this time of year.

Clayton

Wait a second, half price? What have you been smoking?

Ash

Apparently, Clayton, The Holiday Service Plan is half off both the investigation and the bust.

Clayton looks at the camera and shrugs his shoulders.

Clayton

Hey, whatever. I think these guys have been wearing proton packs too long.

Cut to Brandon.

Brandon

I wear mine to bed.

(he pouts)

We get a quick shot of Amanda watching the TV, shaking her head with a smile.

Clayton

(to reporter)

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, whatever it is, whoever it is, we'll size up it up and trap it for you. Even if it's that mother-in-law you thought was finally gone forever.

(winks at the camera)

We know how it is, guys.

They scan rail road tracks, take slime samples. As they're wrangling a ghost, Clayton holds the trap up in the air and traps a ghost from the hand-held position.

Radio Host #3

Last night, James Hetfield and the rest of Metallica at Summer Sanitarium had to stand aside as the Ghostbusters threw down with a pyro-poltergeist on stage. After the dramatic trapping, the Ghostbusters stayed after and rocked the night out in the Snake Pit with the heavy metal band. Now, back to Metal Mania on one-o-one-five.

In there also needs to be the scene where they park without paying, and a meter maid tries to write them a ticket. The antenna on top follows him, and the ticket explodes in flame on the car.

Now, the kick ass song fades away.

The scene and music fades to darkness.

Scary time. . .

INT – HALLWAY – NIGHT

We are looking directly at a door at the end of a long hallway. It's clear the reinforced door leads into a cell of sorts. We hear muffled talking. As we steadily zoom in on the door, the small placard reads "solitary confinement." The muffled talking stops.

Patient

Don't leave me. Guards, don't leave me again, please. They'll come back. I don't want to be left alone. I don't –

He's interrupted.

Patient (cont'd)

(quietly begging)

No, please. Not again.

(beat)

I know. He's coming. That's not dead which eternal lie, stranger eons even Death may die. Why…

(beat)

No, I don't want to know any more. Why are you doing this to me?

(beat)

Some one, please help me!

We hear the guttural growl of a very large cat and a horrifying scream.

EXT – A STREET – DAY

We see the afternoon traffic driving by, people walking, maybe a bus against the buildings of downtown Austin. We see a shot of Clayton's face. We can eventually tell it's looking up at his face, which is looking down at us. We see a smoking trap on the ground next to his boot. We get a shot of his eyes diverting to his watch. His watch reads twenty-seven minutes. We have a profile shot of his face as he sits slouched, his fist supporting his head. Cut to a shot of a smoking trap swinging calmly between his legs, the smoke trailing back and forth. We pull back for a profile shot of him in full regalia sitting on a bench with his proton pack on looking down at the ground, seemingly waiting for something. Cut back to him, a little more pulled back, and he sighs. Then a little kid, 8-10, comes into the frame.

Kid

Excuse me, mister, are you a Ghostbuster?

Clayton looks at the kid.

Clayton

Yeah, man, sure am.

Kid

No way!

Clayton

_Totally_ way.

The mother walks up and apologizes for the interruption.

Clayton

Don't worry about it, ma'am.

The kid points at the smoking, blinking traps.

Kid

Do those have real ghosts in them?

Clayton

Mm-hmm. Real nasty ones, too.

Kid

Really?

Clayton

(wide eyes)

Bite your head off, kid.

Clayton signs an autograph. The mother and kid leave. From around the corner comes the Ecto R/T. Its lights are flashing, but the siren is off. Clayton sees them coming and stands up. He arches his back. He gets both traps in one hand and sticks his other thumb out like he's hitchhiking. The Ectomobile rolls up.

Clayton

Hey, you guys going my way?

Clayton walks around back and pops the rear hatch. He pulls his proton pack off, and Brandon walks around to the back. He takes the traps from Clayton.

Clayton

You guys have trouble?

Brandon

You wouldn't beleive it. We caught five ghosts in the Broken Spoke, man. It was wild.

Clayton

Yeah, I caught two, here, man. I was glad I brought an extra trap.

(beat)

Today's been a really rough day, man. What's going on?

They pack away Clayton's proton pack.

Brandon

I don't know. Something's happening. My scans have been showing the ghosts we're trapping are getting more and more aggressive and numerous.

They walk back to the passenger side of the car.

Brandon (cont'd)

Every one of the last seven phantasms we've trapped have been more powerful than average.

Clayton

Why? Coincidence?

Brandon

Not likely. Ash is going to drop us off at the building so we can dump these spooks and hopefully figure out what's going on.

They sit back down in the car and close the doors. The car pulls out.

INT – PSYCH WARD – DAY

Ash is in his grey Ghostbusters flight suit. He and the warden of the psych ward are walking down a corridor.

Warden

Thank you for coming, Mr. Rhine.

Ash

No problem. I'm sorry we could not make it when you called yesterday. We've been rather busy lately.

Warden

Indeed.

(beat)

What kinds of hours do you work, Mr. Rhine?

Ash

Lately it's been pretty rough. We just picked up another employee. Hopefully, we'll be able to do eight on, twenty-four off until business slows down.

(beat)

I'm on my sleep rotation right now, but I thought you guys needed attention.

Warden

Thank you. We appreciate it.

Ash pulls his PKE meter out and turns it on. Its ears immediately go up to half level.

Ash

Mm-hmm, no problem. Have patients died here?

Warden

Unfortunately yes. Despite our best efforts, we have been plagued with suicides.

Ash

I'm sorry to hear that. What sorts of issues are you having, Doctor?

Warden

Well, please understand, Mr. Rhine, as a psychiatrist, I try to be a man of facts, reason, and understanding. It is my job here to explain to our patients that the voices they hear and the things they see are only in their minds; they are merely elements of their own psyches, symptoms of their sickness.

They arrive at the door to the solitary confinement ward we saw earlier. There is crime scene tape around the door and an armed guard.

Warden (cont'd)

I try my best to explain to our patients that there is a logical explanation for everything we may encounter in our lives.

The guard opens the door to a very dark room.

Warden (cont'd)

But this…

The warden turns the light on to reveal a slime covered cell. It is dripping off the ceiling, off the walls, etc.

Warden (cont'd)

…this is beyond me.

There is a long pause as Ash visually inspects the room from the hallway. He raises his PKE meter to the door. Its ears shoot up.

Ash

Wow. Unusual.

Warden

Is it dangerous?

Ash

Oh, no.

Warden

Have you ever seen his kind of material before?

Ash

Oh yes. This is ectoplasm,

(beat as the PKE meter really beeps)

really charged ectoplasm. We call it slime.

Ash steps into the room.

Warden

Even though ventilation has been off since the incident, it has remained cold in here.

Ash takes a look at the bent frame on the door.

Ash

The patient escaped?

Warden

Yes. The police have, of course been alerted, and an all-points has been put out.

Ash

Wow. The two guards were knocked out?

Warden

Yes. They're still in a coma.

Ash

You said the patient complained of harassment by a ghost, correct?

Warden

Yes, in days prior, he had been suffering from unusual wounds on his body, but we assumed they were self inflicted. The last night, however, when this happened, he was confined to a straight jacket. We found him with several long claw marks across his back, and he was covered in this material.

Ash

Did he describe the creature that attacked him?

The warden goes through a file he has in his hand.

Warden

He reported it as a large, demonic dog. He said a name had been mentioned to him.

(beat as he looks in the file)

Vince Glorth.

Ash turns around to face the Warden.

Ash

(articulating his speech)

Vinz Clortho?

Warden

That's it.

Ash

Are you positive?

Warden

Yes.

Ash

Did he say anything about _Gozer_ the Gozarian?

Warden

No, it was Exodus the Destroyer.

Ash

Exodus. Huh.

Warden

Does any of this make sense to you?

Ash

Well, I have heard the name before. Did he say anything about a Zuul?

Warden

(checking the report)

No.

Ash pulls a pair of rather large goggles over his eyes and looks around the room.

Ash

How about being the Key Master, Volguus Zildrohar, Lord of the Sebouillia?

Warden

No. Not that I remember.

Ash moves to a different spot and pulls a specimen dish out of his pocket and collects some of the slime.

Ash

But it was Vinz Clortho for sure.

Warden

Yes.

Ash moves the goggles off his eyes and pulls his cell phone out.

Ash

Clayton, I need you to run a search on a creature named 'Exodus the Destroyer' for me, please. Let me know what you find out. Thanks.

Ash closes the phone and stows it and the goggles.

Ash

Was there anything else he said that struck you as odd?

Warden

Yes. He said something repeatedly that made no sense.

The warden flips through the file and comes to it.

Warden (cont'd)

Here we are. 'Not dead which eternal lie, and through stranger eons even Death may die.'

Ash furrows his brow and thinks hard.

Warden (cont'd)

Have you heard that before, Mr. Rhine?

Ash

Yeah. I've heard that before.

Ash quietly repeats it to himself. Suddenly, he snaps his fingers.

Ash(cont'd)

The Thing that Should Not Be.

Warden

The thing that should not be?

Ash

It's a Metallica song from their Master of Puppets album. Know your metal, Doc.

Warden

I always knew nothing good came from such music.

Ash

Not so, Doc. In fact, this may have pointed us in the right direction. The song was based off H.P. Lovecraft's book the Dunwhich Horror. Lovecraft was a real wacko, and he was really into the Necronomicon.

(beat)

The book of the dead.

Warden looks at Ash with a confused look on his face.

Warden

The book of the dead?

Ash

(as he continues to examine the wall of slime)

Warden

How can I explain this to my patients? There has to be a logical explanation for this.

Ash lets a smile flicker across his face.

Ash

Well, doctor, you're right. There is a logical explanation, but it is beyond conventional wisdom. I don't think you should be explaining this to your banana pants patients.

(beat)

I know at least one of the names you listed is a known phantasm. Vinz Clortho is a minion of a creature the Ghostbusters up in New York ran into named Gozer the Gozarian, the Destructor.

(beat)

Now, if what you remember is accurate, and Vinz Clortho is back in town, it's probably bad.

Warden

Bad? How bad?

Ash

Really bad.

INT – ECTO R/T – DAY

Ash is driving. Clayton calls him. He answers it.

Ash

Yo!

Clayton

I found your boy.

Ash

What's the news?

Clayton

This guy is a real hardass in the world of gods. Listen to this. 'Exodus the Herogen, elder sibling to Enoc, Ashila, and Isaac the Herogens, is the most powerful of the Herogen gods. He was worshipped by the Sumerians, Mayans, and Aztecs as the god of war and destruction. It is said that the Aztec civilization did not actually "disappear, but rather was destroyed by Exodus. It is rumored in some circles that the Herogen are the four horseman of Apocalypse. Their minions include many of the Zuul species.

Ash

Nice. Sounds like he's a pansy.

Clayton

I'll see what Tobin's Spirit Guide says, and I'll give the guys in New York a call to see what they know.

Ash

Alright, man.

EXT – STREET DOWN TOWN – DAY

Vinz is taking a stroll down the street. He is looking around, observing things. He isn't all twitchy like he was in the first film. He's walking amongst other people with a white under shirt on. Vinz sees a guy knocked out on a bench deeply sleeping. The guy has a shirt and pair of shorts laid out next to him drying. Vinz grabs the shirt and walks off. The shirt says "Innocent" on one side and "Guilty" on the other. He pulls the shirt on. He keeps walking for a second longer before the Ghostbusters burst out of one place of business and run across the street to another, almost hitting Vinz. The Ghostbusters run past, we see their car is parked not too far away. Vinz looks at them as they go past. A girl and a pair of jocks are looking at the car.

Girl

(dumb teeny bopper tone)

What a bunch of con artists.

(beat)

Dumb jock #1

Shyeah. Ghosts aren't real.

Vinz stops behind them.

Vinz

You don't believe in ghosts.

They turn around.

Girl

I believe in what I can see, and I never seen a ghost.

Vinz

Just because you don't believe in ghosts doesn't mean we don't believe in you.

Both of the jocks step up to Vinz.

Jock #2

Hey, you being a smart ass, jerk?

Vinz grabs them both by the head rotating them back. They fall to their knees. There is a thunder clap and an electrical arching sound as he saps them.

Girl

What are you doing?!

Vinz

Learning.

He soaks them up for a moment longer before he lightly releases them, and they fall to the ground. After several beats, he lowers his head back down and looks at the girl.

Vinz

You've been unfaithful to your gods.

(beat as the chick begins to scamper away)

Run, while you can.

INT – GHOSTBUSTERS CENTRAL – DAY

Clayton walks along in the loft toward equipment with two smoking traps and a hand full of work orders. We see Ash sitting down at a work bench with a large, never-before-seen trap open, testing its insides with a multi-meter. Clayton puts the traps down and looks at the work orders.

Clayton

Oh, boy, three more free-repeaters and two more class fives.

Ash

Groovy.

Clayton sits down heavily and rubs his eyes. Ash closes the trap and gets a normal one. He makes sure it's off and opens its door with a knife. He begins probing its insides with the multi-meter. Brandon walks up beside Ash with someone.

Brandon

Hey, Ash. Miqe has decided to come aboard.

Ash stands and shakes hands with Miqe.

Ash

Hey, Miqe. Good to see you again, man. Welcome.

Miqe

Thanks. Now that finals are over, I can focus on other things, like a full time job.

(beat)

It looks like this will be a handful.

Brandon

Yeah, you've got that right. I've already covered the basic stuff of what we do. Apparently, he's been studying quite a bit.

Ash

Oh, cool. Well, maybe you can tell me a little about these.

Ash gets up.

Miqe

Well, I'm familiar with what they are, but not how they work.

Ash

Quantum mechanics, my man, but without getting too deep it's pretty much like magnetism,

(beat as he takes a bite of a cookie)

opposite charges attract, similar charges repel.

They come up to proton packs lying on the work table. One of which is taken apart.

Ash (cont'd)

First of all, those boys up in New York really knew what they were doing. Their technology is really cool. All of this stuff is based off the notion that ghosts, phantasms and spooks are all negatively charged.

Miqe

That's how you can detect them, right?

In this sequence, Ash points every piece out briefly.

Ash

Right. We can detect them with the PKE meters. They measure the presence of the negative charge ectoplasm carries.

Miqe

Ghost snot?

Ash

Ghost snot? Since we have bodies, the bio-electric residue we leave behind is pretty weak. Ghosts, on the other hand, don't have bodies to hold them together, so they're held together by a thick viscous fluid called ectoplasm. If they run into anything, they leave a little behind.

(beat)

Now, the proton packs, our main tool. These are what we use to grab a hold of the ghosts.

Ash motions to the disassembled pack lying on the table. There are a number of little bitty electromagnets in a ring.

Ash (cont'd)

Here, we have a cyclotron that smashes atoms into all the particles. We collect the protons and send them all over here to second stripper to make sure we have a pure stream.

Ash puts his finger on the gun-like stick.

Ash (cont'd)

And this is where they go. These babies are the neutrona throwers. It hits the particle filter here and backs up until you trigger the thrower. Once you push here, out they come in a stream that kind of walks its way around.

Miqe

A stream of protons? Won't that do damage?

Ash

(slightly excited)

Yeah it does. We try to be careful, of course. Our customers agree to assume all damages incurred in the trappings.

Miqe

We never cross the streams, right? über bad

Ash  
Yeah.

(quoting fingers)

Total protonic-reversal.

Miqe

Every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light.

Ash

You got it, man.

Miqe

So, does the trap work the same way?

Ash

Similar. It does its job in two phases. You trigger the first part by hitting the foot peddle once, and that grabs the ghost just like the packs do. Hit it again, and the intensity goes up, drawing the little bugger down into the trap. After that, the trap goes in here.

Ash slaps the side of the large containment system. He picks up a trap with a blinking light on it off the work bench.

Ash (cont'd)

Loaded trap.

Miqe

Does that have one in it?

Ash

Sure does. It has a class-four repeater. Now, we take it to the containment unit for long-term storage.

Miqe

Long-term storage.

The containment unit is a large, yellow square sticking off the wall. It has a number of other squares growing off its sides. There is yellow striped caution tape around the middle of it. It has a large throw handle and a number of lights, wire bundles, and gizmos sticking off its surface.

Ash

This is the quantum Ecto Containment Unit, or the ECU.

Miqe

Shouldn't it be QECU?

Ash

Yeah, but QECU kind of sounds stupid, doesn't it?

Miqe looks at it inquisitively.

Miqe

Does this operate off the same principle?

Ash

Well, kind of. It's similar. Since it requires such incredible intensity, it has to work off a little different technology. It is sheathed in a negatively charged impregnated mesh, electromagnets, and super reinforced with particle beams and charged lasers.

Miqe

So it's like a fusion reactor.

Ash pauses and looks at him through the corner of his eye.

Ash

Very good.

Miqe

(inquisitive)

But how do you charge a laser?

Ash taps Miqe on the chest with the trap and winks at him.

Ash

Family secret.

Ash turns a handle, and a door opens down. There is a long, open ended box inside.

Ash

First you unlock the system. Then insert the trap into the receiver.

Ash inserts the trap into the box and releases the actual trap box from the handle assembly like a magazine out of a gun. He levers the cover back up and closes it again.

Ash (cont'd)

Set your entry grid.

(beat as he presses a button)

Neutronize your field.

The lights turn colors as a deep hum resonates through the room.

Ash (cont'd)

This polarizes the hatch keeping the spooks on "that side."

Ash presses a button, and another deep, flushing sound rumbles through the room. The lights across the front of the containment grid turn from yellow to green.

Ash

As we like to say in the industry, light is green, trap is clean.

(beat)

Now it's safe to take the trap out,

(beat as he does so)

and place it to the side for recharge.

(beat)

Thus the phantasm is incarcerated into our homemade quantum ecto containment unit.

Ash places the empty handle in one bin. The trap cartridge goes in another labeled "Charge" with up to a dozen others.

Miqe

What are these?

Ash

These are different kinds of traps.

Ash moves the tripod around.

Ash (cont'd)

This one is a tripod trap net. We sometimes use these like three to five at a time to make it easier for the trap to do its job. It reinforces the trap field and kind of sets up walls around the ghost.

Ash lifts up a larger trap.

Ash

This is my little project, the Mark-five. It's for really taking down lots ghosts at a time. It's more like a little containment unit. It's a lot more powerful than one of the normal traps. It uses the charged lasers instead of just a charged steel grid. We can hold up to fifteen big boys, class-two free repeaters, in one of these.

Miqe

Coooool.

Ash picks up a four-inch long one and a half inch wide yellow can with a radioactive sign on its bottom and a covered toggle switch on top. It has black warning stripes on it with a wire wrap around the toggle switch's cover.

Ash

This is a proton grenade. This is used to soften up the ghosts if they're a little too randy.

Miqe

Soften? Like beat them up, slap them around before you trap them.

Brandon

Soften.

Ash gets some slime off his uniform and pats Miqe on the cheek.

Ash

Welcome to the family, Miqe.

Ash turns to Brandon and takes a sip of his tasty beverage.

Ash

So, Brandon, how's the grid holding up?

Brandon

It's getting crowded in there.

A voice echoes.

Secretary

See you boys, Amanda's here!

Amanda

Hi guys.

They turn around.

Everyone

Amanda!

Amanda

(smiling)

Sure...I'm glad to help on my _day off_. Better be paying well.

Brandon

Make yourself at home, Amanda.

Clayton

Don't tell her that! She's already cleaning up around here and stuff!

The phone rings.

Clayton

Ghostbusters, you snag them, we bag them.

Ash

What are we up to in there?

Brandon

One hundred and twenty four.

Miqe

Wow.

Brandon

I'm getting kind of worried, Ash. PKE levels are really getting up there. Instead of going down with every trapping we do, they seem to go up exponentially. We might be looking at some sort of event.

Clayton

Alright, thank you, ma'am. We'll be right out.

Ash

You know, the amount of slime in that cell was unreal. With Zuuls possibly coming out to play, I think you're right.

Clayton

Hey guys, we have an investigation you might find interesting. The curator of the Bob Bullock Museum just told me they've been hearing voices all week.

Brandon

That makes sense. I should have checked that place already. It has all sorts of ancient burial items in it.

Clayton

Guess what the voices have been saying?

(beat)

Exodus.

Ash nods slightly and taps his finger on the table.

Ash

Exodus.

Brandon

I wouldn't rule it out. I sent an e-mail to Ray to see what the Ghostbusters in New York can dig up. Their archives far out range ours.

Clayton

You want to come, Miqe?

Miqe

I'd love to, but I've got to get back to College Station to finish moving down here. I'll be back tonight.

Brandon

Alright. Later.

EXT – BOB BULLOCK MUSUEM – DAY

They pull up with lights flashing. A moderate, slower-paced sound track is playing. The ectomobile pulls up, and the Ghostbusters get out.

Clayton

Could this be a nation-wide thing?

Brandon

I don't think so. I called the guys in Colorado and New York. They aren't any more busy than normal. I believe it's a localized issue.

In the back ground, several people begin accumulating around them and looking at the car.

They get to the back of the car and start pulling proton packs out and suiting up.

Ash

What do you think is going on?

Brandon

I think this Exodus character might be behind this somehow. We're going to have to look more into this guy.

INT – BOB BULLOCK MUSEUM – DAY

They step into the building in a real theatrical way. Everyone stops what they're doing and looks at the three of them. All conversation stops.

Clayton

Howdy, we're the Ghostbusters.

Kids run up like Santa just walked in the door.

Kids

Ghostbusters! Wow!

The curator (Hand) seemingly appears out of nowhere in Clayton's bubble.

Hand

Thank you for coming so quickly.

Clayton

No problem, sir. We handle this kind of thing all the time.

Ash bursts into frame wearing his goggles.

Ash

You've been hearing voices?

Hand jumps back quickly. He shakes Ash's hand.

Hand

Don Hand. We've been hearing voices lots lately.

Brandon

Lots?

Hand

Lots. It used to be just at night when everyone had gone home the security system would pic up voices, but now it's becoming more frequent. It's happening during the day. Most of the tourists think we're playing it over the PA system.

Brandon and Clayton are scanning around. Brandon comes to a large gold box inside of a glass box/case. It registers very hot on his PKE meter. He leans down and reads the placard. Placard will have to be made up.

Brandon

Clayton, could you do me a favor and get some of pictures of this with and without the Spectral filter?

Clayton

Yeah, sure.

Clayton starts taking lots of photos of the box. Hand and Ash walk up behind him.

Brandon

What is this?

Hand

It was one of four replicas of the Ark of the Covenant found in Nazi Germany after the fall of Berlin. It was found in the company of other religious artifacts including the Spear of Longinus, a book of the Arogho Jihad.

[this is a reference to Hellboy as well. In the back ground, we see one of Kroenen's masks in a case.]

Brandon gets up and turns the PKE meter back on. He passes it back and forth across the Ark. As he does, its ears move up and down as it passes across the Ark.

Brandon

I don't think this is a replica.

Hand furrows his brow and tries to form a word, but Ash interrupts him.

Ash

So, what do these voices say?

Hand

It's very strange. We really can't distinguish much of what's being said, but they definitely sounds like syllables of some language. The only thing we have come to a consensus on is the word _exodus_.

Brandon scans around a bit. As he's scanning, he comes across a child walking around. He scans it for a moment before moving on. The curator takes them to a large display room.

Curator

It mainly comes from in here.

Brandon and Clayton approach this artifact with great interest. The ears on Ash's PKE meter go up, as do the ears on Brandon's Neutrino meter.

Brandon

Oh, my stars and garters. This is heavy.

Clayton

We haven't ever come across something this intense. I've got 1265 on the PKE.

Ash's POV, the sculpture is glowing.

Ash

I'm getting a lot of multi-plainer curling emanations coming off this thing.

Ash makes an adjustment on his goggles. Clayton moves around it, scanning, and Brandon starts taking digital pictures.

Curator

This is an Aztec piece from approximately five hundred-fifty AD.

Ash

Do you know much more about this artifact, sir?

Curator

Well, we think it was an idol of worship by the Aztecs, a god by the name of Xipe Totec.

Brandon

Xipe Totec was the god of agriculture and life, correct?

Curator

Correct, also known as the flayed one. He supposedly covered his bed with a comforter made from the skin of his enemies.

Ash

_Nice_.

Ash says emphatically. He bends down and gets real close. He notices a really fine layer of slime on the artifact.

Ash

Slime.

Brandon collects some with a squeegee and a peetree dish. Clayton passes by Ash and Brandon.

Clayton

The entire room is extremely hot.

Brandon puts the small peitree dish into a pocket analyzer. It beeps, and he makes a double take.

Brandon

This really concerns me, Ash.

Curator

What do you mean, hot? Is it dangerous?

Brandon

Well, not right now. I think we've found the link to the supernatural world in your building. I'm pretty certain it's this artifact. Inanimate objects don't usually secrete ectoplasmic residue, sir.

Ash steps up to the artifact and runs his finger over a number hieroglyphics.

Ash

Mr. Hand, do you guys have anyone who can read this language?

Hand steps up.

Hand

No, not on hand.

Ash

Brandon, we might need to get Miqe in on this. He knows how to read this kind of stuff.

Ash runs his fingers down a number of rows of the hieroglyphics. Three rows describe a figure rising at each. A ring around him grows bigger and bigger in each. After the third, there is nothing but dots around the figure.

Ash

Clayton, get some detailed pictures of this writing, would you?

Clayton snaps away with a digital camera. As Ash continues to scrape slime off of the artifact with the top of the petree dish, Hand walks up and examines what Ash is doing.

Hand

Did someone blow their nose on my artifact?

Ash

Looks like it.

Ash locks the dish and puts it away.

Ash

I know this is a long shot, but do you have a fragment of this in the back we can take back to the station and study?

Hand looks over both shoulders and pulls out a small straight, shiv of a knife. Hand stabs the artifact, knocking a little off.

Hand

Yeah, yeah, I think we have a little piece you can have.

Ash laughs a little as Hand hands the piece to him

Ash

Yeah. That'll be perfect.

Ash put it into another petree dish.

Brandon

Sir, do you know what this artifact is made of?

Hand

No. I don't think we've ever taken samples.

Hand glances at Ash with a smirk.

Brandon

It doesn't look like any sort of material I've ever seen. How 'bout you Ash?

Ash

Nope. It's metamorphic, but that's about all I can say.

Clayton records the PKE readings he's getting in a notepad or PDA.

Clayton

Did you guys ever get these kinds of readings in New York?

Brandon

(emphatically)

No. Not even on top of that Gozar building. That's still hot, but nothing like this.

Ash

We've gathered a lot of data. We'll analyze it and see what we can come up with for you.

Curator

Thank you. Here's my card.

They exchange cards.

Ash

Thank you. My cell phone number is on here, Mr. Hand. If anything else happens, please give either me a call or call our front desk. We'll get back to you as soon as we have something.

EXT – BOB BULLOCK MUSEUM – DAY

They're taking their proton packs off when Clayton's cell phone rings.

Clayton

Ghostbusters, we zap them and trap them.

Ash

I don't know, Brandon, this whole building is crawling with PKE energy.

Brandon

I know, that slime we found is way too powerful to come from any standard ghost or phantasm. Do you think it could be Clortho?

Clayton

Hey, guys, do either of you know much about religion?

They pause. Ash reaches his hand out.

Ash

Yeah, a little.

Ash takes the phone.

Ash

Ash Rhine, Ghostbuster, how may I help you?

INT – ROOM – NIGHT

Ash looks at the Mk5 trap closely. It hangs inverted from a stand, trap doors down. We begin to hear heavy breathing. We get a shot of Brandon wearing a proton pack, his wand on his belt, flickering and flashing, at the ready.

Brandon

You said she had been on Gambutrol?

Doctor

Well, yes. She has been on Ritalin and Ibuprofen her whole life, Prozac in the last few years. Gambutrol was prescribed only recently, when her symptoms began to reach their peak.

Ash

Yeah, I think that might be the problem. Ritalin, Prozac, and Gambutrol are psychosomatic drugs. Am I correct, doctor?

Doctor

That is correct. The dosages she was getting were heavy, but I don't see how that could be affecting her negatively.

We get a wide shot of the room. It's nearly torn to shreds. The paint has been clawed off the walls. The curtains are closed, things have been knocked over and stood back up.

Ash

They may have indeed kept the entity from leaving your daughter's body through the exorcism.

(beat)

We'll see what we can do for her.

We now see a young woman below the inverted trap laying on a bed, her arms and legs bound. She moves slightly as if having a really bad dream. Ash stands up and pulls a pair of goggles from his belt. There is a distressed and concerned mother and father to the left holding each other. They're all holding goggles like Ash.

Mother

Will this hurt her?

Bandon turns to her and speaks in a low voice.

Brandon

No.

(beat)

This device we're using is called a 'ghost trap.' It is a machine that pulls on a ghost or phantasm so hard that it is drawn into the trap and holds it. This one is the most powerful kind we have. Now, we're going to combine the exorcism ritual with a trapping. We will bring the being forward with the exorcism. When it is at the surface and in full bloom, we can trap it without affecting your daughter.

Mother

Okay. Please. Anything. We just want our little girl back.

Brandon

That's why we're here, Mrs. Iker.

The mother looks out into the living room. Clayton is sitting on the couch with the two other kids. They're enamored with the proton pack sitting on the coffee table in front of Clayton. One is around ten and another around twelve.

Mother

Kids, stay with Mr. Whittle, okay?

Kids

Okay, mommy. He's funny! He has a mohawk!

Ash

We're ready. Put the goggles on. These will protect your eyes from the lasers used in the trap, and they will let you see the entity as it begins to emerge from your daughter.

(beat)

This may be disturbing. Be strong.

Ash pulls his PKE meter and turns it on. Its ears move up by a quarter.

Ash

Alright, Father, we're ready.

The priest starts the video camera.

Priest

This is the exorcism of Jennifer Iker. Those present are Sarah, the mother, Jonathan, the father, and Dr. Robert Steely for medical supervision. In addition are the Ghostbusters Ash Rhine and Brandon Stantz. Jennifer and her parents have given permission for the exorcism to be performed again. As I have said before, do not attempt to talk to it. It will lie and provoke. Let only me speak to it.

Ash readies the trap's activation paddle, slightly moving it with his foot. We get a good shot of the priest opening the book of Catholic Funeral and Exorcism rituals. Ash pulls the goggles down onto his eyes.

Priest

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon us.

Ash changes the settings on his goggles a little. We get an Ash POV shot of the girl in an iridescent light. As she opens her eyes, they're revealed as blue star bursts. The ears on Ash's PKE meter shoot up very high.

Standard view, her eyes are highly dilated, almost black. She growls like the Predator.

Ash

It has begun.

The priest continues to read the scripture. She writhes about and says something in several different languages, perhaps in two voices.

Girl

You want some more, do you, Priest? Let's reveal some of your secrets.

Priest

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

Girl

You have much guilt. You hate yourself for having defended thieves, rapists, and murderers before you were a man of the cloth, when you were a man of the law.

They read the Lord's prayer. The girl mockingly repeats it.

Girl

but deliver us from EVIL!

Priest

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.

Girl

The Word was with us, the Word of God was a lie! He betrayed us as He betrayed you.

Priest

I command you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, demon, tell me your name!

Girl

One, two, three, four, five, six, I want to take you to the River Styx!

The light bulbs in the room shatter.

INT – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

The screaming is coming through the door loudly. The kids wrap their arms around Clayton's torso tightly. He drops _Cat in the Hat_ he was reading them and puts his arms around them.

Clayton

Shhh, it's okay, it okay. Everything's going to be alright.

Clayton turns on the proton pack lying on the coffee table with his foot. Clayton exhales a concerned breath. Even Clayton is getting a little scared.

INT – ROOM – NIGHT – EXORCISM

Priest

Demon, tell me your name!

Girl

I was in Babylon and Croatia, Ashuitz and Leningrad. It is I who inspire genocide upon a leader's own people. I am he who dwells within.

The possessed girl looks at Rhine. The priest is still reading the scripture.

Girl

(German)

I remember you, boy. We met in the Valley of Slovinia. I have a certain fondness for the swastika.

(beat)

You remember me, don't you…

Her words lay in with a cut to Ash. HARD CUT to a washed out image of a Slavic soldier shooting a little kid in the back of the head and rolling him down into a mass grave. He had a swastika arm band around his arm next to a Serbian flag. We see a rifle come up into screen, POV style and fire on the guy several times, dropping him like a sack of wet potatoes.

Girl (cont'd)

(English)

We had a good time that day, didn't we, soldier?

Priest

The power of Christ compels you!

Girl

In comparison to your precious Exode the _Historical Destructor_, I am he who cannot be destroyed.

Brandon

I'm sorry, Father.

(Brandon steps closer to the bed)

What do you know of Exodus?

Father

Mr. Stantz!

Girl

(growling in long, stretched words in German)

Exodus is a bitch. He's coming to destroy your pitiful civilization. I just wanted to watch.

Priest

Tell me your name, demon!

The girl redirects her attention to the priest.

Girl

I am he who never sleeps. I was the first to follow Lucifer from the gates.

(deep breath and a loud, long, drawn howl):

I am Belial!

Priest

(yelling over the girl)

I command you, servant of Satan, leave this girl!

The girl belts out a scream unknown to Earth.

Ash sees the ora on the girl reach a certain peak. The PKE meter is going nuts. Ash taps the foot peddle, and the trap above her opens. She arches her back. The light reflects off her brilliantly like a 10 million candle power light is shining on her from inside the trap. She gargles out a few more yells in protest. Ash keeps watching through his goggles. After three seconds, the trap shuts, and the girl falls back down onto the bed, seemingly dead. The lights ripple across the trap's status bars, and the trap starts smoking.

Ash

Got him.

The girl starts to move slightly. She opens her eyes and looks to her parents.

Girl

Mother?

Ash scans her with his PKE meter. It's flat. The parents pull the goggles off and look to Ash. He scans her closely. Then he nods. They hug her, and the priest pulls the goggles off. He takes Ash's hand with both hands.

Priest

Mr. Rhine, I will inform the Vatican of the events of today. The Catholic Church will not forget this.

Ash

Thank you, Father. I am glad we could help.

INT – GB HQ – NIGHT

Ash opens the containment unit and slides the Mk5 trap in to the receiver.

Clayton

That was crazy. I wasn't even in the room, and it scared the crap out of me.

Ash ejects the smoking cartridge into the receiver and withdraws the handle.

Ash

That was the real deal, man. None of this half-baked ghost stuff.

Ash flushes Belial away with the multi-tone flush.

Ash (cont'd)

He sure was pretty certain of Exodus's immanent arrival.

Brandon is running the slime through their large spectral analyzer. Clayton has the top of his flight suit unzipped, exposing a red Zombie Repellant t-shirt.

Brandon

That was interesting Ash. I had no idea we would even approach this kind of religious activity.

Ash

(grumbles)

Yeah, tell me about it.

(normal voice)

I'm just glad it worked.

Brandon

What did he say to you in German?

Ash smiles slightly.

Ash

He called Exodus a bitch.

(laughs from all)

He also said he was here to watch Exodus take out the city.

Brandon

Uh, oh. Demonic possessions don't usually last long. Exodus must be coming soon.

Ash picks up a book and opens to a bookmark.

Ash

Belail referred to Exodus as 'Exode.' I've heard that before. There is an Exode of Pessum Ire in the Necronomican.

(beat as he finds it)

Here we go, 'Exode is the higher of the hordes. He is that of cultural devastation and historical destructor. Sumaria felt his wrath as his tongue of flame tasted all of its reaches. Exode, Hunter of Shadows, is the thing that should not be.

Clayton

Crap. He's been around for a while.

Ash

In order to facilitate his arrival, one of this minions arrives in advance to collect knowledge for Exodus's judgment. This one will also facilitate the gateway.

Clayton

Facilitate the gateway? What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Ash

I don't know, but I really don't like it.

Brandon quickly checks his e-mail. He has a message from Ray Stantz. He opens it. It reads Brandon's dialogue lines.

Brandon

Hey, I have an e-mail from Ray.

Clayton

What does it say?

Brandon pauses as he reads.

Brandon

Wow. "A few guys who stop by my book store now and again recognized the name of your guy. They got me some really spooky scripts from their personal collections. Here's what I found.

'The Herogen are the four ancient spirits of evil. They're suspected to be the actual four horsemen of apocalypse. Exodus held the place of Death, Gozer the place of Pestilence, Isaac the place of War, and Ashila the place of Famine. Their rules have spread far past the Earthly realms. They have attained the complete loyalty of the Zuuls and Sloars of the underworld after conquesting against them nearly-three thousand years ago.

Exodus has been referenced in seven different archeological digs spanning three continents. The Aztecs of South America, the Mayans of Central America, and the Sumerians and Persians of the Middle East. They all bore stories of a creature causing mass departure and untold destruction. He was mentioned also in hieroglyphics found in King Tutencomon's burial room. The picture is attached."

Brandon scrolls to the bottom of the e-mail where the picture awaits. It is a carving of a man levitating with his arms out. Pyramids from a land far away, maybe Persia are being blasted to fragments. The man is clad with gold armor on his hands and collar. There are many bodies on the ground. The next hieroglyph shows a wave of sand burying the civilization.

Brandon

Oh, my.

Ash

It looks like he would completely destroy the civilizations, single handedly.

Clayton

Bummer.

Brandon

(scrolls back up)

Exodus accrues his power in threes, it seems. Theoretically, he will gather his power in three separate waves. How far apart these waves are is unknown. The hieroglyph describes a period of time between different levels of destruction, allowing the population more time to escape. I would definitely suggest that timing would be critical in an encounter with this entity.

(Brandon pauses)

Ash

Incredible. So, if we can stop him early enough, he might not even be able to do much.

(beat)

That matches up with the Necronomican.

Brandon

Hold on, listen to this:

'It also reads that in order for Exodus to cross the plane, he needs an intense source of human energy to help him jump the barrier. If Vinz Clortho is involved, this might be where he comes into play. I hope this helps. If you need our help, let us know, Egon, Winston, and I will be on the first flight down. Ray.'

Clayton

I hope it doesn't call for that.

Ash

(whispers)

Oh, no.

Brandon

You know, the readings we took from the museum match the readings you got from the asylum with a variation of point zero, zero, three micron variation.

Ash furrows his brow.

Ash

Crap. They've got to be linked. Human energy, right?

Clayton

Human energy? Wait, they haven't found Aaron Shaffer yet, have they? You think it's Aaron Shaffer finally freed from the loony bin, or do you think it's Vinz-boy is taking a Sunday stroll in a new Shaffer suit?

Brandon

Possession makes sense.

Brandon rolls over to the computer and brings up the folder full of pictures from the museum. Ash sits down at a desk where a microscope sits.

Ash

The curator of the museum gave me a piece of the artifact.

(beat)

Let's see what it tells us.

Ash puts the chip of the stone onto a small piece of microscope glass and slides it under the lens of the microscope. He looks into the two eye pieces and turns the light on. He turns a focus knob on the side of the microscope and focuses it.

Ash

What the hell?

(beat)

No way.

Clayton

What?

Ash rolls his chair over to another computer and begins clicking away on it.

Ash

Clayton, what do you know about hafnium?

Brandon turns around in his chair and looks at Ash with a suspicious look. Clayton stops chewing a bite of a sandwich he was eating. He furrows his brow and looks off to the side as he finishes chewing.

Clayton

Hafnium, huh?

(beat as he swallows)

Well, I know that the Air Force spent something like thirty-billion dollars trying to make a bomb out of it but they never could make it work.

Brandon

It also sheds electrons very well. We used it in plasma welders.

Ash puts the chip of the artifact down on a scale. It weighs in at one half gram.

Ash

The nuclear community uses it in control rods, because it absorbs neutrons very well.

(beat as he picks it up and holds it out in front of him)

This piece contains enough hafnium to supply the power needs of this building for roughly three and a half months.

Shot of Clayton in the foreground and the containment system in the background. Focus is on Clayton.

Clayton

Even,

(beat as the focus shifts to the containment unit behind him as he points a thumb over his shoulder)

old Bessie?

Ash nods.

EXT – Somewhere – NIGHT

SLOW MONTAGE:

Aaron Shaffer is walking along watching society in the downtown Austin environment. He is traveling down 6th street observing the worshiplessness of the culture. He still has on the black Innocent/Guilty shirt on. Shaffer continues along observing. He sees a guy with a pair of tits and double takes as the guy walks by. He comes across people with shirts saying, "Earth First," and "Pro-Choice. It's My Body," and smiles. He sees a couple of guys kissing or something and cocks his head slightly.

Shaffer is gargling a few laughs to himself. A pair of hostile Goth kids block Shaffer's way. [Goth is not to be confused with Emo] He stops and looks at them.

Goth 1

What the fuck's so funny?

Shaffer

The decadent downfall of your pitiful excuse for society.

(beat)

Now, move, cretin.

Goth 2

What did you say, punk?

Goth 1

Oh, I don't think old boy knows who he's dealing with.

They start circling him.

Shaffer

Leave or you won't live to see the rectification of your pitiful civilization.

Goth 1

Shut the fuck up. I can smell innocence at fifty yards. You're meat.

Shaffer

(cutting off the Goth)

You pose to be something you are not.

The Goths take pause; the tables just turned.

Goth 2

What did you say, punk? Don't make me put some pain on you!

Shaffer begins to close on them.

Shaffer (cont'd)

Pain

(beat)

What do you know of pain?

(beat as they begin backing off)

Only until you have suffered four eons of servitude to the Shadow Hunter will have a glimpse of pain. Through your dark decades of suffering will you learn that it is not dead which eternal lie, and that through stranger eons, even Death may die.

Goth 2 starts to back off.

Goth 1

No way, you know the book of the dead?

Shaffer gives no response. Goth 1 is interested, and Goth 2, a little scared stands a little to the side but sill within arm's reach.

Goth 1

Is it true? Is the Necronomicon…

Shaffer

(interrupting again)

It's all true. The Great Old Ones slumber, Leviathan is where the Cenobites live, and the Djinn await their reclamation.

(beat)

Exode, the Legion of Destruction prepares his arrival, and you have come to die.

Shaffer quickly grabs both of their heads, and lighting arcs with a thunderclap.

INT – GB HQ – NIGHT

Ash

You know what it could be?

(beat)

This might be a portal for Exodus.

Brandon

Potentially. It would require an incredible amount of energy to open such a rift.

Ash

How much energy?

Brandon

I don't know, but a few years back when Egon Spengler opened a portal to send all the ghosts they had stored in their containment unit to another dimension, they drew so much power it blacked out New York

(beat)

again.

Brandon goes to Wikapedia and reads it for a moment.

Brandon

Oh my. One gram of it has one thousand three hundred and thirty megajoules of potential energy.

Clayton

Sweet Moses Malone. That's like, what a thousand pounds of high explosive? No wonder the Air Force had its eye on it.

Ash

It's a source of gamma rays. That's why our goggles picked it up.

Brandon brings up a number of pictures of the artifact. Ash picks up a TI-83 plus calculator.

Brandon

With the amount of energy that could be in this artifact, it could facilitate an inter-dimensional gateway several times.

Ash

Or if a chain reaction in that piece was triggered, it would yield a five-hundred and eighty kiloton explosion.

Clayton

Holy dog crap, dude, that's a city-killer. Being down town, it's well placed too.

Brandon

Translating these hieroglyphics is going to be a pain, though.

Ash

I think I might know someone.

INT – RESTURANT – NIGHT

Miqe

Alright, what do you have for me, Ash?

Ash slides a rubbing and a bunch of color print-outs of the artifact over to Miqe.

Miqe

Whoa, where did you find this thing?

Ash

That's an artifact down at the Bob Bullock Museum of Texas History.

Miqe

They have rotating exhibits, don't they?

Ash

Yeah.

Miqe

That explains why I haven't seen it yet. I go down there once in a while.

(he shuffles between the pictures)

Well, it's a big stone.

Ash furrowed his brow and cocked his head a bit. Miqe smiled.

Miqe (cont'd)

What did they tell you about it?

Ash

The curator told us it was recovered from an Apache village. It was an idol to Zipe Totec.

Miqe

Well, this isn't Apache. It's Aztec. This may have been recovered from an Apache province, but this is an Aztec relic.

(beat as Miqe goes between pictures)

Do you have more pictures of this at your place?

Ash

Yeah.

Miqe

This is interesting Ash. Were you able to get a sample of the material?

Ash

Yeah.

Miqe

What's it made out of?

Ash

Granite

(beat as Miqe forces a frown and nods his head)

and hafnium.

Miqe looks up and furrows his brow.

Miqe

Like Hafnium seventy-two?

(beat as Ash nods)

Weird.

(beat)

Well, this line of text says: Fear must one of the shadow hunter. He comes every thirty-eight blood moons. Loyalty judges. Pleasure, anger.

Ash

Blood moons?

Miqe

Yeah, that's how they referred to Jupiter being plainly visible in the night sky. You might want to cross reference that to see if we're under or over thirty-eight orbits with Jupiter.

(beat)

That's all you have on these pictures. Do you have more of them?

Ash

Yeah. We have a ton back at the station.

Miqe

I'd like to see them.

(beat as Miqe checks his watch)

I would also really like to see the piece in person, but the museum is already closed.

Ash

I'm about to go back to the station. You're welcome to come.

Miqe

Cool.

Ash takes another sip of his drink.

Ash

So, how did finals go?

Miqe

Not bad. I passed. Graduation is (DATE).

Ash

Still want to work for us?

Miqe

Will I get to do more of this kind of work?

Ash

Oh, I think so.

Miqe

Then I'm in.

(beat)

Plus those toys of yours are really cool.

Ash smiles.

INT – GB HQ – NIGHT

Clayton pulls the tape off a trap that is taped to an R/C car and puts the trap into the containment unit and flushes the ghost away. Brandon is looking though some book. Clayton unzips his flight suit and sits down in a chair.

Clayton

Oh, we're caught up!

Clayton looks at the table in front of him and sees an 88mph Ghostbuster comic book laying there. He picks it up and flips through it.

Clayton(cont'd)

I wish someone would make a comic book of us.

(beat)

That'd be real cool.

Ash and Miqe come walking up.

Miqe

Hello, everyone!

Clayton

Miqe! You brought me a calzone?

Miqe

I licked it.

(beat)

I couldn't help it.

Brandon rolls up closer to the computer screen.

Brandon

Alright, Miqe, this is what we have from the museum.

Miqe looks at it. We can see the reflection of the LCD screen in his glasses lenses. Miqe points to the base of the artifact on the screen.

Miqe

Zoom in on this.

Brandon

I didn't know the Apache had carvings like this.

Miqe

They didn't. The guys at the museum made a mistake. This is Aztec from Central America.

Clayton looks at Miqe curiously.

Miqe (cont'd)

In fact, this might have been pulled off the top of one of their temples in South America. Cortez and his boys ripped a lot of things off the Aztecs during their conquests of Central and South America. They would usually take this kind of stuff as treasure.

Brandon and Clayton are staring at Miqe with an astonished look on their faces. Ash is smiling.

Miqe

What? I minored in ancient cultures.

Ash

Good job, Miqe.

Miqe

Can you zoom in on this area?

Brandon brings up another picture of the column holding the thing up. Miqe _runs his finger_ along the LCD screen.

Brandon

You can read Aztec?

Miqe

This is line is Aztec text and this one is Mayan text.

(beat)

This is weird.

Clayton

What?

Miqe

The shadow hunter rises, the destructor comes at will. Befalls Death, rising from the cradle is that which should not be. Falls the city under architect of destruction, the great flight.

(beat)

Well, this is not honoring Xipe Totec. This is a warning.

(beat)

You said the curator had been hearing 'Exodus' repeated in the museum right?

Ash

(understanding)

Yeah.

Clayton

What?

Miqe

_Great flight_ also means mass fleeing, departure, escape,

(beat)

or _exodus_. This wasn't to honor Xipe Totec, this is to honor the architect of destruction, Exodus.

Brandon

This is starting to make sense, Ash.

The phone rings.

Clayton

Ghostbusters, you fear them, we smear them.

Brandon

We have to keep a really tight leash on this.

Ash

I think you guys should take this next one. I need to take a nap.

Brandon

How long has it been since you've slept?

Ash counts in the air.

Ash

I rolled over into my fifth day seven hours ago.

Clayton

Jeebus, well, you guys have fun. I have to take a real hottie out to dinner. Fethany is coming in to take the phones.

Ash

Alright, Clayton. Say hi to Amanda for us.

EXT – CALL – LATE DAY/NIGHT

The Ecto-R/T pulls up with the soundtrack from GBII where they pull up to the museum in the Ecto-1A to initially take a look at the Vigo painting. This is to signify that busting ghosts is way routine. The lights are calling about as much attention as they can. People begin to gawk. The GBs park and shut off the lights. Brandon and Miqe get out and walk around to the back of the car.

Brandon

(on the opposite side of Ecto of Miqe)

(speaking up)

Class five phantasm.

Miqe

Full roaming vapor, full body, humanoid, cartoonish, right?

They come around to the back of the car and open the back.

Brandon

(impressed)

Very good. Class-fives are moderately intelligent. They have slight problem solving skills, but they are still almost completely driven by emotion.

Miqe

(smiling)

Like women.

There is an awkward pause as Brandon freezes and stars at Miqe. A moment passes, and Miqe's smile fades as if he horribly offended Brandon. Brandon blinks a few times.

Brandon

Actually, yes.

They put the packs on and beep Ecto-R/T's car alarm. Wide shot as they begin to walk into the building.

Miqe

What is the solid-state ghost?

Brandon

Class-two.

Miqe

That's what Exodus is supposed to be, right.

Brandon

Oh, yes. All of the 'gods' are supposed to be solid states.

Miqe

Exodus the historical destructor. I don't like the sound of it.

We follow them into the building, their proton packs lights flickering away. Brandon has the goggles on his head in addition to the other equipment on him.

INT – BUILDING – NIGHT

They step into the building scanning. They make their way up to the front desk. The desk clerk is shocked by the Ghostbusters' appearance. The manager comes up to their left immediately.

Manager

Thank you for coming.

Brandon introduces both himself and Miqe.

Brandon

Where was the disturbance, ma'am?

Manager

There have always been stories of the third floor, but things have been getting really bad lately.

Brandon

How big is it?

Manager

We don't really know. We've only seen it a very few times, but it causes massive vibrations in the building, though. It looks like a shark.

Brandon

Class five. Very good, ma'am. We'll take it from here.

EXT – ECTO-R/T – DAY

There is a small crowd gathering around the Ecto-R/T. Some snotty twerp with a UT polo shirt on walks up with a friend of his. These are Hook 'em and Horns. They look on at the car with disgust.

Hook 'em

What a bunch of fakes, man.

Horns

I hear the city pays them to put on these stunts. I even heard Metallica paid them to go out on stage with them in College Station.

Hook 'em

Scam artists.

Hook'em walks toward the car and pulls his VW key out and switch-blades out the key.

Hook'em (cont'd)

Well, I've got something for them.

He points the key toward the side panel. CLOSE UP as he gets close to the car, ready to key it. About six inches away or so, a massive spark jumps out and archs between the car and his key. He instantly jumps back and drops the key, holding his hand as if wounded. The electron cannon on top of Ecto-R/T quickly faces him. It looks at the key on the ground for a moment with its massive cannon-mounted IR/I² camera. It turns to face a VW across the street and fires an electron pulse. It hits the VW, and sparks and archs all over it. The car alarm frizzes out.

Hook'em

My car! What the hell?!

He turns around to see the electron cannon pointed right at him. We hear a capacitor charge and whine or maybe a spent casing being ejected. Hook'em and Horns back away and run.

INT – DAY

They both walk around scanning. Brandon has his Giga-meter out sweeping the area. They make their way through a few rooms.

Brandon

Miqe, I'm impressed with your knowledge of ancient cultures. What else did you learn about that stuff?

Miqe

My expertise on this subject is more cultural than anything, but we all learned about the strange and any mythos that went along with it. They spent most of their time preparing for the after world. They were really eager to please the gods.

(beat)

I guess they didn't always please them.

Brandon's PKE meter's shoot up, and he pauses.

Brandon

Hey, I think we might have something over here.

The big, blue sharkish ghost blows by. It pauses and looks over its shoulder. Miqe pulls his stick and aims. Brandon takes up next to Miqe.

Brandon

Throw it!

Miqe throws and misses. They run after it. They blow through a few doors. They both take aim and throw, snagging the ghost. A kid pops out from around the corner and screams.

Kid

Hey, it's the Ghostbusters!

The kid drops into the streams, and they quickly cease fire. We see the kid is fine, he's just a little shaken.

Miqe

Hey, kid, you okay?!

The kid picks his hat back up. It's a smoldering Ghostbusters hat. Part of it has been roasted.

Kid

Awesome! You guys are so cool!

Miqe

Whoa, hey, watch out, man, you almost got roasted!

Miqe and Brandon take off. They come around a corner and stop to see the ghost frantically looking around as if it was genuinely scared. Miqe throws and snags the ghost. The ghost thrashes against the stream.

Brandon

Keep him there! I'm throwing in the trap.

Brandon stows his wand and rolls the trap in.

Brandon

Alright, here we go!

Brandon hits the peddle, Miqe pulls the stream off, and the ghost goes down.

Miqe

Another one bites the dust.

Brandon

(gets the trap up and lifts it up)

It was afraid, but not of us.

Miqe

I don't know. What scares a ghost?

Miqe stops and signs the kid's smoking at. As they walk out, they push a pair of double doors open to reveal the nasty mutilated ghost staring right at them. It slowly growls at them. Miqe fires from the hip. It dodges Miqe's stream. Brandon pulls his stick and throws, missing. The ghost pulls around the room and comes at them with bladed arms out. They both fire and snag it. Miqe drops his trap and kicks it under the ghost.

Brandon

She's fighting hard!

Miqe

I'm hitting the trap!

He does, and the ghost goes in reluctantly. The trap immediately starts smoking.

Miqe

Did you see that thing?

Brandon

Yes. That was incredibly strange. I think…

The trap starts beeping furiously. They step back. They both take aim at the trap.

Brandon

What the…

The ghost comes out of the trap with fury. A wind is screaming about like a hurricane. It looks down at the two Ghostbusters.

Ghost

Prepare for the loath of souls, Exodus the Destroyer. He will raze you and your city to ashes.

The ghost disappears.

Miqe

What the hell was that?

Brandon walks over to the trap and examines its settings.

Brandon

This is a problem. This ghost must have unparalleled strength. It must be more focused than the trap's normal settings. We're going to have to get the Mark-five traps from the station. In the meantime, set your traps to maximum, Miqe. We don't want this happening again.

(beat)

I think we may have a bigger problem. If he's preparing for the coming of Exodus, it must be soon.

They walk out of the place with pondering looks on their faces. The owner comes up to them.

Owner

Did you see it?

Brandon

Yes. We got it. There was another, though.

Owner

(puzzled)

What? Another one? What happened?

Brandon

Something. Something we haven't encountered before.

Miqe

When we tried to trap the second one, the ghost over-powered us and left.

Owner

Over powered you?

Brandon

This is the first time, ma'am.

Owner

Will it be back?

Brandon

Not likely. Its intentions seemed to be bigger than haunting your place of business.

INT – GB HQ – DAY

(Overhead view)

Ash is lying asleep on the couch in a very awkward position with the TV remote in his hand. His cell phone starts to vibrate. He wakes up almost violently.

Ash

(groggy)

Jesus…

(beat as he digs it out of his pocket)

…the confusion of sensory perception.

(beat)

What's up, Brandon?

Brandon

Ash, we had a ghost escape the trap. Before it ran off, it had something to say.

Ash

It spoke to you? Wait, escaped the trap?

Brandon

Sure did, Ash. It said 'prepare for the ultimate destructor, the loath of souls, Exodus the Destroyer.'

Ash

You're kidding.

Brandon

No. We're on the way back to the station. We've got to formulate a strategy.

Ash

Alright. I'll see you in a minute.

INT – RESTAURANT – NIGHT

Clayton and Amanda are eating. They are talking. Someone comes up.

Fan

Oh, my god, are you Clayton Whittle?

Clayton

Yes.

Fan

The Ghostbuster?

Clayton

Sure am.

Fan

Can I get your autograph?

Clayton makes it out to whoever it is.

Clayton and Amanda talk for a minute more. Then, they're interrupted again by a phone call for a television interview. She gets annoyed. They talk a little more, and a Ghostbusters call comes. He gives the building's phone number. As he's giving it to the caller, she leaves. Clayton runs after her a bit, but she hitches a cab before he could get to her. He walks off down the street with a head hung low.

INT – BULLOCK MUSEUM – DAY

Vinz steps into the museum. He takes a deep breath. He knows it's there. He walks past the front desk through without paying.

Attendant

Sir, sir! You have to pay!

Vinz keeps on walking without notice. He walks right up to the artifact. She comes running up behind him with haste and yells at him again. He turns around.

Vinz

Quiet, _over-active_ reproductive unit. Your time will come.

She walks away very putout. Vinz walks up to the artifact and looks at it. He overturns the barrier in his way and gets up close to it. He examines it closely and then closes his eyes. He leans his head back and grits his teeth. He brings his arms out to his sides, only inches away from the face of the artifact. Then, as if magnetically attracted to it, his hands are pulled to the surface of the artifact, creating a deep rumble. The lady returns with a few security guards.

Guard

Hey, get away from there! If you want to be here, you pay the admission!

After a moment, they go up and grab his shoulders. They pull, but to no avail. Then, an invisible pulse surges through Vinz and blasts the guards off him. Chairs are over turned, and they slide to a stop. Vinz strains hard, flexing everything in his upper body, and finally drops off the artifact. He falls backward onto his butt. Shaffer is coughing pretty badly and looks lost. The guards try to take Shaffer in custody. Don Hand shows up and bats the guards away.

Hand

Get off of him, meat-flower. I'm Don Hand, bitch.

(beat as he kneels over Shaffer)

Are you alright?

A moment later, Shaffer comes to, very confused.

Shaffer

What…

(beat)

where am I?

Hand

You're in the Bob Bullock Museum of Texas History. What is your name?

Shaffer

Uhugh, Aaron Shaffer.

Shaffer sits up and looks up at the artifact. Terror fills him as he realizes what just happened. He starts to push away across the floor.

Shaffer (cont'd)

No. Not this.

(beat)

He's coming.

Hand stands him up.

Hand

Who are you talking about?

Cut to Hand looking at the artifact and back to Shaffer.

Hand

Is it a ghost? Is a ghost coming?

Shaffer's eyes jolt open.

Shaffer

No, no. A god. He's the Shadow Hunter. He's coming.

Hand

Do you know who?

Shaffer

Exodus, Exodus.

Shaffer runs.

INT – GB HQ – DAY

They get out of the Ecto-R/T and walk upstairs. Miqe has a smoking trap in his hand.

Ash is eating a piece of pizza.

Ash

So, what happened?

Brandon

There were two ghosts. We trapped the first one. The last one was by himself. After we trapped him, he escaped the trap, told us off, and left. He was significantly more powerful than other ghosts we caught in the past. I think he's one of Exodus's minions.

Ash

Ruh-row. That's not good.

Miqe

Not only that, but this one

(beat as he taps on the trap)

looked to be running away from the other one.

Miqe flushes the ghost into the containment unit.

Ash

Really?

(beat as he considers)

Ghosts fearing other ghosts.

Miqe

That artifact you were looking at today illustrated how Exodus's emissaries would show up and warn the people of his coming arrival.

Brandon

It looks like that's exactly what's happening now.

Miqe walks over from the containment unit.

Miqe

I have a radical idea. Can you bring up all the calls on an overlay of the city?

Brandon

Sure.

Brandon kicks himself over to the computer. Miqe and Ash walk over as Brandon brings it up. The screen comes up displaying a symmetric pattern.

Brandon

Wow.

Miqe

Damn it. I thought so. I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier.

Brandon

It's in a symmetrical pattern…

Miqe

Do you have satellite images?

Brandon

Of course.

Miqe

Bring up a picture of about sixty-nine degrees forty-three minutes lat by zero eight degrees seventeen minutes long.

Brandon does.

Brandon

South America?

Miqe

Yeah.

(beat as Brandon does)

Zoom in a little.

(beat as he leans toward the screen)

These grey spots are Aztec temples. Bring the call-map over that image.

Brandon does and resizes it. They overlay perfectly. The GBs grown.

Miqe

Well, there you go. Looks like our traveler is coming from here.

Miqe points to the middle of the image. Brandon brings the map of the city back up. The middle is the Bullock Museum.

INT – BULLOCK MUSEUM – DAY

CUT TO the artifact at the Bullock Museum. Close-up on a number of pieces of debris on the ground as they begin to vibrate around. Maybe a Mc Donald's cup falls over in front of the artifact. A deep rumble thunders through the building. The security screens begin to frizz-out. Don Hand looks around. Bystanders look around, unknowing of what's happening. Exodus echoes one last time through the building. A deep pulse sheers through the building, swinging signs and knocking over lighter objects. Everyone stops what they're doing and takes a look around with alert. Hand leans walks over to the Customer Service Desk.

Hand

Tiffany, get on the PA. Scurry Plan Alpha.

As she gets on the PA and rattles off a standard orderly evacuation bit, Hand pulls Ash's business card from his pocket.

INT –GB HQ - DAY

Brandon

This could be the biggest inter-dimensional cross-rift since_.

Miqe

Guys, that last call we were on was the last one. There were seventy-four Aztec sacrificial temples, and we've had seventy-four corresponding calls. It's going to happen.

(beat)

It's going to happen tonight.

Brandon

We need to get down to the Bullock Museum.

Montage as they all start scurrying, getting equipment, proton packs, PKE meters, traps, etc. They get dressed quickly. Specifically, we have shots of them unplugging proton packs and traps from the wall chargers. The proton packs have 30amp plugs in them.

Cut to

INT – BOB BULLOCK MUSEUM – DAY

The museum is silent. We get a few shots of the empty museum establishing the place is vacant. Close up on the base of the artifact. Then, a massive metal boot steps down and clanks onto the ground. The majority of the boot is obscured by the legging of a hakama.

INT – GBHQ – DAY

Miqe zips up his uniform and pauses as he sees the light from the window is rapidly getting darker. He walks over and looks outside to see clouds rapidly forming.

Miqe

Hey, guys, come take a look at this.

They all run over.

Brandon

It's happening.

Ash

Brandon, we're going to need the mayor's support on this. If we can't get there soon enough, they have to be prepared.

Brandon

I'm on it.

Ash

We need to get Clayton right now.

All over the city, there is a massive release of spiritual energy illustrated in pinks and light blues. The spirits fly through the city to _Magic_. They cut their way between buildings. We see people looking up at them, watching them pass by. The lights weave between buildings and enter others. We see a ghost of two coming out of different areas, some in cars, some sitting on benches, some flying around, causing all sorts of hell. We will see famous ghosts from famous parts of history doing things. At A&M, there is a translucent version of Bonfire being built by the students who died in the collapse.

INT – CAB – DAY

Amanda is watching the lights and ghosts from inside the cab. The cab driver is freaking out.

Amanda

Take me to 3780 South Lamar.

Cabbie

What is there that'll keep you safe from this, lady?

Amanda keeps looking out the window.

Amanda

The Ghostbusters.

Cut back to people running everywhere. The ghosts are flying all over, and some go toward the museum.

INT – GB HQ – DAY

Ash's phone rings. Ash checks it, and it says Don Hand.

Ash

Mr. Hand, is something happening?

Hand

Ash, something's going down. A massive wave just passed through the entire building. We have evacuated everyone.

Ash

Good. Get out of there, Mr. Hand. Exodus is a creature, a god, and he's coming to the music capital of the world, and your museum is his gateway. Get the police down there immediately. We'll be there shortly.

Fethany

Hey, guys! Our board's lit up! We're getting calls from all over the city.

Brandon

I have the rest of the Ghostbusters here, Mr. Mayor. Hold on, please.

Brandon puts the phone on speaker and puts it in the middle of the table.

Mayor

What the hell is going on, guys? Austin is tearing itself apart!

Captain

We've never gotten this many calls of ghosts in the city. Park benches are chasing people, ghosts are blowing through shopping malls. I need to tell the mayor what the hell is going on.

Brandon

Mr. Mayor, we're looking at a four fold cross-rift that is involving the entire city.

Brandon

We think all of this is a prelude to a god-like creature named Exodus coming into our world, Mr. Mayor. We think the Bullock Museum is his doorway. If we can get down there, we might be able to stop this.

Mayor

What?

Captain

Bob Bullock Museum?

Ash

Mr. Mayor, this guy's name is Exodus.

Mayor

Is he a ghost?

Ash

He's along the lines of a god. He is coming to destroy the entire Austin area, maybe more.

Mayor

Destroy the city?

Ash

Big time, sir, and we're not kidding. From our research, we think he is responsible for the extinction of many of the ancient civilizations.

Captain

We already have all of the on duty officer on the streets and the off duty guys coming in. Is that going to be enough?

Brandon

I don't think so.

Mayor

Is there anything you can do?

Brandon

Captain, I think we're the _only_ ones who can stop him.

(beat)

But, we could use your help, Captain.

Captain

Name it.

EXT – AUSTIN SKYLINE – GOING DARK

Fifteen-second segment. The entire skyline is going dark. We see clouds swirling around, lightning, people running about, and more ghosts terrorizing the local population. The cab shows up at the GB HQ, and Amanda jumps out. She pretty much throws money at the cabby. She busts in the door.

INT – GBHQ – GOING DARK

Amanda runs into the building seeing Fethany rather flustered talking to so many people on the phones. The entire board is lit up.

Amanda

Ash, Brandon, what's happening?

Brandon

Amanda? Where's Clayton?

Amanda makes her way to the stairs.

Amanda

He's still downtown. What's going on?

Ash

We need him, now. He's not answering his phone.

Amanda

What's happening?

Brandon

A god is coming, and we think he intends to destroy Austin, maybe more.

Amanda

(shocked)

Oh my God.

(beat)

Can you stop him?

Brandon shrugs lightly.

Ash

Amanda, the best thing might be for you to stay here with Fethany. You both know how to work the equipment.

Ash gets a trap and puts it in her hand. We can tell she's absorbing quite a lot really fast.

Ash

Alright. If any ghosts come in here acting crazy, you hold this up like this. Then you hit this pedal. A bright light will come out. Then, hit the pedal again, and look away. You'll get them Don't look at the trap while it's open unless you have a pair of goggles on, alright?

Fethany

Okay. Alright.

Ash goes around and starts unplugging the proton packs from the 30 amp power cables.

Ash

Miqe, get all trap nets. Brandon, get all the traps you can round up. I think we'll need the Mark-fives.

He begins carrying them one or two in each hand down to the Ectomobile. Ash loads up the packs in Ecto-R/T, and Clayton puts the traps in the back of the car four at a time. Miqe hands him the tripod trap nets.

Brandon

Miqe, any ideas why Exodus is coming now?

Miqe

I have no idea.

Ash

I'm willing to bet it's some set interval we haven't figured out. It's time for a of cultural cleansing.

Ash closes the rear hatch, and they start to get into the Ectomobile.

Fethany comes up to Miqe and gives him a big hug. She's almost crying.

Fethany

Good luck, guys. Be careful! Come back in one piece.

Miqe

Thank you. We will.

Miqe gets into Ecto.

Fethanay

Go give him hell!

They close the doors and start up Ecto. The lights come on.

EXT – GHOSTBUSTERS HQ – DUSK

Ecto comes out and falls into formation with the four police cruisers waiting outside. Ash leans out of the window.

Ash

Tally ho!

The convoy gets underway, all vehicles driving fast with their lights on and sirens wailing. This may be a 30 second segment. During this, Brandon leans out the window and places some sort of transceiver on top of the car. He types into his lap-top and brings up a map.

Brandon

Got him. I found Clayton's cell phone.

Brandon picks up the radio.

Brandon

Black and white One Three, this is Ecto R/T.

Cop

This is Black and White One-Three, over.

Brandon

Pull into Sixth Street. We need to pick up one of our men.

Cop

Ten-four, Ecto R/T. We'll pull in.

INT – BOB BULLOCK MUSEUM – DAY-TO-NIGHT

We see a man of sorts knelt on the ground. He is wearing a hakama without a shirt on. Over a dark grey skin is an almost tribal tattoo pattern that follows the separation in his musculature. His back's tattoo is designed in a complex fashion. On the top of his head is three to four inch black hair with gray ends. His hair length is short in the back and long on top. This is Exodus. We get a shot of SWAT storming the building. They set up a few guys on columns and behind walls. There is a constant deep pulsing rumble throughout the entire room. Exodus is absorbing the spiritual energy in this knelt position. The SWAT guys keep beads on Exodus.

SWAT

You on the ground! Lie down and place your hands out to your side! Look away from my voice!

After a moment, Exodus slowly stands erect in a full reveal. We see his entire torso with a bit of an up-angle signifying his superiority. His entire torso, arms, and face are tattooed similarly to his back. His hands are covered in steel gauntlets similar to those used by the ring wraiths.

SWAT

Get on the ground now!

Close-up on the gloves as they flair out, fingers flexed and ready for battle. Close-up on Exodus's eyes as he opens them for the first time in nearly a thousand years. They are as black as death.

INT – GB HQ – DUSK

Amanda pulls the straps tight on the proton pack. Fethany pulls the wand and holds it with determination.

Fethany

Any ghosts try to get in here, they're toast.

EXT – 6TH STREET – DUSK

Clayton is walking along, by himself. He hears a crack through the air and notices the day quickly turning to dusk. He looks up, camera angle going from his face down his torso looking up past his head and into the sky. He sees the pink and blue lights streaming overhead.

Clayton

What the hell is that?

He pulls a PKE meter out of his pocket and points it up with an extended arm. Its ears shoot up as the lights go by.

Clayton (cont'd)

Aww, no.

The sounds of sirens echo off the buildings. Intermixed with the police sirens is the Ecto-R/T siren. He pulls his cell phone out and checks it. There are five missed calls and two voice mails from the Ghostbusters.

Clayton

Aww, crap!

He quickly gives them a call.

Brandon

Good thing you called, Clayton. We're going down to the museum. Exodus is here.

Clayton

What? Here? Like, here, now?

Brandon

We think he's trying to come into our world through that artifact at the Bullock museum.

Clayton

Yeah, I'm watching firework show. Hey, listen, I can hear the sirens. I'm on Sixth Street by Callahan's.

Brandon

We know. We've triangulated your position. We're coming to pick you up.

Clayton

Triangulated my position?

The escort pulls down onto the street he's on. Ecto-R/T's siren is turned off. He jogs to the driver's side window.

Ash

Alright, get in! We brought your uniform.

Clayton

I have to find Amanda.

Ash

She's back at the house holding down the fort with Fethany. Get in!

Clayton jumps in Ecto-R/T, and they take off. We have a couple shots of Ecto-R/T blazing down the street. From inside, we see the convoy ahead making a sharp turn at a high rate of speed.

Ash

Hey, Clayton? Have you ever seen a five-thousand pound car drift?

Clayton looks up just as Brandon braces himself against the dash. Ash takes the turn, and they all scream. Clayton tumbles around in the back as they take the turn, the ectomobile smoking and leaning heavily as they take the hard turn.

EXT – BULLOCK MUSEUM – DUSK

Hand is standing outside next to the police captain. They hear shots fired inside. A "shots fired" notification comes over the radio. The SWAT guys come running out. If we can, we need a big dust cloud firing out of the front doors.

INT – ECTO-R/T – DUSK

Clayton

Casualties? We're talking about a super poltergeist, aren't we?

Brandon

We're walking into this with the notion that he's a _god_.

Clayton

Well, looks like we're going to have to put on a good game, huh, boys?

As they're approaching the museum, it's clear the day is quickly turning to night.

EXT – BOB BULLOCK MUSEUM – NIGHT

The Ectomobile pulls up, and they get out. A massive crowd has formed around the museum. A fire engine and an ambulance are there with a couple of police cruisers and a news van.

Ecto-R/T and convoy comes to a stop. Clayton jumps out, pulls the zipper up, and raises his arms over his head. The crowd goes wild.

Clayton

Hello, Austin!

Clayton runs around returning high-fives, hand shakes. There a camera crew runs after Clayton and follows him in awe.

Clayton

The ghosts want to play rough, huh? They want to try to take our city?! Well, that just ain't gunna fly, is it?

Cut to Ash and Brandon putting their packs on. This is where they are really gearing up. They're all putting on as much equipment as they can. They're all carrying traps, PKE meters, maybe goggles, gloves, etc. Ash and Brandon put on the Mk5 traps on drop-leg holsters. A reporter and camera come up.

Reporter

Ghostbusters, what is going on?

Brandon pulls the straps tight on his proton pack.

Brandon

We believe a Sumerian god is going to try to destroy the city.

Reporter

What are you going to do?

Brandon

Everything we can. Excuse me, we have to go.

Miqe pursues Clayton and grabs him by the shoulder, pulling him away from the crowd.

Clayton

Sorry, got to go! We've got to shake with a ghost!

The police Captain jogs down to the car. The Ghostbusters move back off the vehicle. Clayton and Miqe get their packs and traps on.

Captain

Thanks for coming so fast.

Ash

What's the situation, Captain?

Captain

We tried sending in SWAT team. There are confirmed casualties, perhaps fatalities.

Brandon gives Ash a concerned look.

Ash

That's really bad.

Captain

Shots were fired to no effect.

Brandon

Well, I wouldn't expect so. They're ghosts.

Don Hand comes rushing up and stick his hand out. Ash shakes it while strapping on equipment.

Ash

Mr. Hand, I'm sorry we have to keep meeting under these circumstances. What are we looking at?

Hand

There was someone knelt down on the floor. He seemed to have stepped out of the artifact you had scanned.

Ash

Uh, oh.

Clayton

What does he look like?

SWAT guy

Uh, he's got a bunch of tats over his body.

Ash and Brandon trade worried looks.

Ash

Captain, we're going to have to get all these people back.

(beat)

We might already be too late.

Ash and Brandon pull goggles down around eyes. They turn around and look to the sky.

CRANE SHOT as we look down at them next to the car looking up into the sky.

POV SHOT of one of them, showing us an end to the spirit front.

Brandon

Alright, he's ending his first wave. We've entered our window, guys.

Ash pulls off the goggles and grabs an odd-looking pair of binoculars from his belt and leans on the top of Ecto. He puts them up to his eyes and looks between the front light bar and the equipment rack at the building.

POV SHOT showing an ora around the building glowing. As he scans around, we see spots glowing about the building like a thermograph. Over to the side of the building, there's a really hot return in a humanoid-like form.

Brandon

What do you see?

Ash hands Brandon the binos.

Ash

Lots of ghosts and one hot one in the main exhibit.

(beat)

Alright, guys, we're going to use the trap nets to isolate Exodus before that second wave hits.

They turn each other's pack on.

Ash

Alright, guys. Let's go beat some ass.

They make their way up the stairs and into the building. The growing crowd of law enforcement and on-lookers begins chanting _Ghostbusters! Ghostbusters!_ They're all carrying the tripod mounted trap nets.

INT – MUSEUM – NIGHT

They step in. There is a massive seal of the state of Texas on the floor. It's quiet, absolutely quiet. They communicate with hand signals only.

They move into the other room, another large one. We have two bodies in pools of blood. Ash and Clayton check their pulses. They shake their heads. They set up three-set tripod arrangement. The wind kicks up a little. Brandon's PKE meter's ears lift, and it starts to make noise, alerting us something is going down.

As Ash moves around a corner, we see a ghost floating in the middle of an exhibit looking at some relics, almost standing guard.

Ash

Yo, she bitch!

(beat as she looks at him)

Let's go.

The female ghost bares her teeth and roars. She comes at him, and it is very nasty, very demonish with bladed arms. Ash very carefully aims as she races toward him. We get a view from behind Ash as he throws and grabs her. They open the trap, and in the ghost goes in.

Clayton

Did you see the arms on that thing?

Ash

I don't think we're dealing with the traditional class-five free roamers.

They proceed around and maybe bag another one. Brandon has his Giga meter out. As he comes across one wall, it's ears come together at the top of the meter. Ash signals them to come in. They come together.

Brandon

Artifact room.

They all crouch down together.

Ash

Alright, here's what we're going to do.

INT – ARTIFACT ROOM – NIGHT

Exodus is standing with his arms out to his sides and head back a bit. The low frequency base rumbles through the room. The sound tapers away, as Exodus brings his arms down. He bows his head just a bit, absorbing the last bit of energy. He opens his black, soulless eyes and looks over his shoulder. We get a shot of a three and a half by two foot by two foot gold box. As we reveal it, we get a bit of the Raider's Ark theme helping us recognize it is the Ark of the Covenant.

Exodus recognizes it, too. He slowly steps over to it. He narrows his eyes. As he approaches it, the Ark's glass display case shatters and falls away. He comes to a stop and raises his metal gauntlet and reaches out to it. His hand stops eight or so inches away. He pushes, and a different sound rumbles through the room. He bares his teeth and pushes harder to no effect. After several seconds of effort, he yields. Exodus may be the man, but he still has no sway over God and His toys.

Ash comes around the corner.

Ash

Hey, ink farm, step away from the artifacts.

Exodus looks over his shoulder at Ash before he turns to face him.

Exodus

(a statement, not a question)

Who…are you.

Ash

You first.

Exodus

I am Exodus the Herogen, Lord of Suffering, Wrath of the Sumerian and Savage Lands, Liege of Destruction.

We get a quick glimpse of Brandon and Miqe quietly creeping around setting up the trap nets. We see them carefully pulling one component open at a time, presumably so that Exodus won't hear.

Ash

Well, aren't you just Mr. Meanie-pants?

(beat)

I am Ash the Terrain, Predator of the Persian lands, Vice of Lost Souls, and Beater of Ass.

A moment passes.

Exodus

Are you a god?

Ash

If memory serves, _yes_.

(beat)

Why are you here?

Exodus narrows his eyes a bit, as if examining Ash.

Exodus

I have come to collect the tithe of the living and commit final judgment of the mass who bears my gateway.

Ash

Final judgment?

(beat as he steps forward)

And what is your 'final judgment?'

Exodus

I will raze this city to ashes.

Ash flicks his eyebrows. The others are still carefully setting up the nets, locking one piece in at a time. Exodus takes a few steps to the center of the room. He is a big guy. A deep, metallic sound of his boot impacts resonates through the room with each step he takes.

Ash

Raze, huh? That's a bit harsh, isn't it, _Liege_ of Destruction? Why Austin? Why now? Is it your celestial time? You know, I don't keep up with who comes when.

Exodus

The forty-eighth cycle of alignment has passed, and the agent of war is amongst the earth. My survey of obedience has told a failure of worship. Sanction will not be granted. Judgment has been passed.

(beat)

The extermination will be complete.

Ash

Sorry, stud, that just won't do. Your decision to pass judgment has been denied. You are neither welcome nor permitted to operate within this domain. I _command_ you to leave this realm with most expedition.

The other Ghostbusters are taking up positions around Exodus. Exodus's clenched fists begin to unclench and form, hard, ridged, gripping fingers, the gauntlets sharp and aggressive.

Exodus

You…

(beat as we glance back to the flexed fingers begin to glow)

…command.

Ash

Haven't you heard?

(Ash points to a sign next to him that says the following)

Don't mess with Texas.

Clayton

Throw it!

Clayton and Miqe throw on him from opposite sides. Exodus writhes from the impacts.

Ash

Alright, you've got him!

We get a close-up on Exodus's face. He's gritting his teeth and growling in resistance. He has never felt this before. Flashes of light strobe, and wind starts blowing around. As Exodus is thrashing around, Brandon rolls the trap underneath Exodus.

Brandon

The trap's going in!

Exodus writhes and thrashes against the beams.

INT – GBHQ

Fethany and Amanda are both standing there with their wands pulled. We get a look at the stairwell. There are several ghosts there ready to attack. They clink the wands together like they're toasting.

Fethany

I hear they're looking for a few good women.

Amanda

No reason to disappoint.

They turn the packs on with a hum and aim toward the ghosts.

INT – BULLOCK MUSEUM - DUSK

Clayton

Yeehaww, ride 'em high, big boy!

Exodus forcefully brings his arms together across his chest, and he begins to levitate. Bits of debris, shell casings, rocks, shreds of a Starbucks cup, and tempered glass all begin to levitate. The beams begin to push off Exodus, forming a ring of proton energy around him.

Brandon hits the pedal and activates the trap. The light shines brightly beneath Exodus.

Brandon

I'm closing the trap!

Brandon hits it again. We get a shot of our boys swapping concerned looks. The trap is having no effect. Exodus's tattoos glow slightly as if he's charging. Ash starts to go for his bigger Mk5 trap on his thigh.

Exodus throws his arms to his sides and blows the proton ring off him. The Ghostbusters are blown off their feet, and the trap beneath Exodus is shattered.

CUT TO the crowd outside. They all stagger backward a step or two, and all the vehicles jolt.

CUT BACK INSIDE. Exodus, baring his teeth, steadying depressing his flexed arms. The GBs roll around for a minute.

Clayton

Jesus _Christ_, that hurt!

They start getting up.

Brandon

Quickly, quickly! We've got to act fast.

Suddenly, Exodus throws his hand up, frying them all with lightning bolts and photons of energy. They grit their teeth and squirm. They are blasted up onto the wall with tremendous force. He roasts them for a couple of seconds. We see their pained expressions.

Ash

Miqe!

(beat as he's being electrocuted)

The net!

Struggling, Miqe moves his hand toward his belt and hits the button. The lights on the stands turn on, and a quick sound stutters through the room as if a polarity just shifted. Exodus nearly doubles over. The Ghostbusters slide down the wall and hit the ground. They all moan in pain. They all have smoking holes burnt in their uniforms. They quickly get back on their feet, leaning on artifacts and walls.

Brandon

It's working! The trap nets are keeping him from feeding and gaining any more power!

EXT – MUSUEM – DAY

Everyone starts to back away from the building. The pink, blue, and green lights begin to swarm around the building and take shape into ghosts of different kinds. The ghosts pay no attention to the people outside. They hover outside the building waiting to be let in.

INT – MUSUEM – DAY

Brandon

His powers are limited now.

Ash

I think it's time for a bar-b-que.

(beat as they get up)

Grab your sticks.

Exodus is crouched on the ground, doubled over.

The rest

Got'em!

Exodus clenches his fists palms in against the ground, gritting his teeth. His hands start arching against the ground slightly.

Ash

We're going full stream.

They pump the power up on their wands. Exodus's eyes open again.

Ash

Lock them out!

They all click the front of the wands out. Exodus begins to rise.

The rest

Ready!

Ash

Let's give this ass-clown here a fight he'll remember.

(beat)

Throw it!

They fire at him, and he dodges between streams. Then, just as fast, he disappears in a streak. The GBs cease fire.

Quick cut to Ash. Immediately, Exodus appears inches away from his face, and Ash takes a quick step back. Exodus thrusts his hand at Ash's chest, and before impact, there is a flash of flame between Exodus's palm and Ash's chest. Ash flies backward and impacts against a wall, cracking it in a spider-web pattern. Ash falls to the ground with a smoldering hole in his flight suit. Exodus throws his arms out to his sides, blowing the rest of the GBs away from him.

Clayton slides to a stop, as does Brandon. Ash gains a knee. Shot of Exodus looking off to his side toward Brandon gritting his teeth with a deep, angry growl. Exodus looks back at Ash. Ash is holding a Mk5 trap facing Exodus. The trap opens, and Exodus recoils. Exodus is pulled toward the trap, but he successfully resists the attraction of the Mk5 trap and moves away from it. Ash moves his hand to his knife and looks to Clayton.

Ash

Clayton! Your knife!

Ash disengages the trap, pulls his SOG knife, and throws it at Exodus hard. Exodus catches it without looking. Ash pulls a proton grenade from his vest and holds it with his right hand. Ash flips the safety cover off the top with his thumb, clicks the toggle switch, triggering a small LED on the switch and presses a button in front of the toggle, and flips the cover back down. Clayton throws his K-bar knife at Exodus, and Exodus catches it mid air, it levitating. Ash throws the grenade at Exodus. Exodus stops them both in the air with arms crossed over his chest.

Exodus looks at the weapon of war and narrows his eyes.

Exodus

How quaint.

The grenade detonates. Exodus yells in pain and is knocked back and down from the blast. Miqe and Clayton gain their footing again.

Ash

Miqe, Clayton, roast him!

Miqe and Clayton fire, and they recoil from the full stream discharges.

Exodus catches the streams with his hands. The streams are much fatter, brighter, and larger with blue lighting bolts arching around the proton streams. The blue lightning occasionally archs to the ground. Cut to Miqe and Clayton gritting their teeth. They're fighting like they're trying to control a wild fire hose. As the streams hit Exodus's hands, he recoils, but he pushes back and holds them, one stream in each hand. Ash turns to the trap's to the controls on its side.

Ash

Brandon, go full power on your Mark-five!

(beat)

We're going for a two trap capture!

Brandon

Got it!

We're getting an incredible amount of practical lighting flashing off everyone and everything, and the sound of the proton streams is almost deafening. Wind is blowing around furiously. They both turn knobs on the sides and fronts of the Mk5 traps up all the way.

While Exodus is holding off the two streams, we get a good close up on his face as he is hunched over, countering the heavy weight of the full streams. He grits his teeth and scowls at the Miqe and Clayton with rage torn across his face. There is a lot of practical light reflecting off him. He growls a highly ferocious tiger growl.

Cut to Brandon and Ash as they roll their traps out simultaneously.

We get a CLOSE UP on Exodus's gauntleted hands. The proton streams start pushing away from his hands. As Exodus begins to gain the upper hand, Clayton and Ash throw into him from different directions, nailing him hard in either in the flanks. Exodus recoils and loses grip of the streams. Now, they're all impacting his torso. He writhes and yells.

Brandon

Ash, Now!

Ash and Brandon hit the peddles together, and both traps open. The trap net stands glow brightly. Exodus fights it, but the traps in concert with the trap nets and the streams, he's too weak to fight it. Exodus yells in absolute rage. They hit the peddles again, pull the streams off, and Exodus is pulled apart between the two traps. The fragments go into the traps, and the traps start smoking. Their lights start blinking brightly. We cut from one Ghostbuster to the next as they nervously keep their wands pointed at the traps. After a moment, they approach the traps. The lights on the Mk5s do their things, and the traps start smoking.

They slowly creep up to the traps and pull their goggles up to their foreheads.

Clayton

(grunts)

Hey!

Brandon

He's in there.

Clayton

Which one?

Brandon

Both.

Miqe

We tore him apart?

Ash

Yep.

Clayton

Oooo,

(chuckles)

Ouch.

Ash grunts a few laughs.

Miqe

Beater of ass, huh?

Ash puts his nutrona wand up on his shoulder.

Ash

Hail to the king, baby.

EXT – BOB BULLOCK MUSEUM – DAY

As they come out, Clayton stops them at the door with lots of on-lookers. He raises his hands, and the crowd cheers.

Now, the credits start. The Ghostbusters do their thing as the Ray Parker Jr. theme plays out. This entire sequence is intended to play through the whole 4:06 of the theme. As the credits roll, the Ghostbusters walk down the stairs toward the Ecto-R/T. Each of the main characters has a quick shot as his name is across the screen. The rest of the cast is listed as the rest goes on as they make their way down, the on-lookers and museum patrons give them hugs, request autographs, we see people wearing Ghostbuster gear, shirts, hats, fan-made proton packs, etc. SWAT guys come up and momentarily talk to them, and the curator of the museum, Don Hand, shakes their hands. Brandon and Ash take the traps over to the car and put them in the back. Miqe puts the trap stands back in the car as well. They take off their proton packs and load them into the back of the Ecto-R/T. They sign shirts, bras, and other autographs. They get in the Ecto-R/T, thunder it to life, and drive away.

Fade out.

Fade back in for the CREDITS:

Cut scenes during the credits with other songs going on.

\- Maybe there's Ash getting zapped as he's working on traps and such.

\- Clayton looking at himself in the mirror wearing Brandon's uniform, noticing how very tight it is, wrapping around his musculature.

\- Maybe a scene where kids are tickling Clayton on the couch.

\- Brandon is caught watching Orgazmo with an orgazmo-raider on his hand.

\- Clayton is sitting on a sofa with his feet up in his Zombie Repellant t-shirt reading either the Men's Health with them on it or reading the 88mph Ghostbuster comic.

\- Amanda is walking around with a pair of lit and smoking traps away from Ecto R/T. A cut of Brandon pulling a proton pack that's still activated on out of the back of the car. Brandon points to it with one hand and holds it with the other. He slaps Clayton, scolding him, we almost hear him telling Clayton to turn it off before putting it away.

\- A cut scene of Clayton juggling the proton grenades; Ash continues to throw things into Clayton's hands.

\- If we get pulled over for having lights on the Magnum, we have to have a picture of that.

Epilogue #1 AFTER THE CREDITS

Fade in.

INT – APARTMENT COMPLEX – NIGHT

Clayton is in a button down shirt, coat, and tie. He knocks on the door. Amanda answers. She gives him half of a smile.

Amanda

Hello, Clayton.

Clayton

Hi, does an Amanda Lutz live here?

Amanda

She does.

Clayton

May I speak with her?

Amanda

She doesn't want to talk to you.

Clayton

Well, I have a gift for her.

Amanda

I'll pass it along to her if you want.

Clayton

Alright.

Clayton hands her a bouquet of flowers.

Amanda

Oh, sure. Flowers. I'll let her know how you've changed.

Clayton hands her a piece of paper and two tickets.

Amanda

Oh, dinner at a country club, and a romantic comedy. She _might_ be interested, but I don't think so.

Clayton hands her a cell phone.

Amanda (cont'd)

And a cell phone?

Clayton

My cell phone. I promised her a night on the town, just us. No calls, no distractions.

Amanda looks back at the tickets and back to Clayton.

Amanda

Okay. She'll be right out.

Clayton smiles.

Fade out.

EPILOGUE #2

After the credits, it's dark. We only see one thing. Exodus is sitting in a huge, ornate chair of death with his fingers clasped and pressed against his lips. He's chilling in the containment unit, perhaps contemplating a way out. Maybe we see other ghosts standing in the corners, keeping their distance.

Then, a voice. The name EXODUS echoes through the prison. Exodus turns his head slightly. He releases his hands and straightens his back. He stands tall, and we see from the shadows emerge another god-like being. Exodus narrows his eyes and snarls.

Exodus

Belial.

Exodus's gauntleted fingers flex, and we fade out.

Possibilities:

Vince Clortho actually interacts with the ghostbusters and talks with them. Later, he goes to the museum and stops a goth kid trying to resurrect Exodus in the same way Cuthullu is resurrected through incantations and such. Hmmm. Perhaps he initeracts with the longhorns trying to key Ecto-R/T. "You may not believe in ghosts, but we believe in you."

Miqe

The Aztecs worshiped their god of war and destruction through many weird rituals. They would perform human sacrifices atop their pyramids and temples. A virgin would climb the temple one step at a time and play instruments laid on every step to prolong the ceremony paying homage to the god. When she reached the top, the priest would kill her in plain sight of those watching. Her blood would flow down the steps, convincing the on lookers she was in fact dead.

They're all listening to Miqe intently. A creepy sound track is keeping the audience on edge also.

Miqe (cont'd)

Then, the priest would take her inside the temple and skin her. Then, he would convince them all she had been resurrected by the god of agriculture and life, Xipe Totec by wearing her skin like a suit and dancing on top of the temple in full view of the population.

Clayton

Ghostbusters, you nag 'em, we bag 'em.

We beat as the camera looks around the room at the characters. Ash is snacking, Brandon is messing with a trap, and Miqe is watching Clayton.

Clayton (cont'd)

Sir, could you calm down, please, what is happening?

(beat)

Uh-huh. Yes, sir. You haven't seen it today? Okay.

(beat as he writes an address)

Sixth street. Yes, sir. We'll send out an investigation team immediately.

(beat)

Sixth street, you should expect about twenty minutes. Yes, sir. Thank you for calling.

Clayton hangs up the phone. Ash checks his watch and takes his feet off the table.

Clayton (cont'd)

Ash, you want to take this one?

Ash

Nooo. I think this would be an excellent opportunity for Brandon to take Miqe, here, on his first bust.

Miqe gives a thumbs up.

Miqe

Sounds good.

INT – ECTO 2 – DAY

Miqe is sitting in the passenger seat. From our vantage point, he is absolutely covered in slime. Miqe is just staring at Brandon with daggers.

INT – THE HOUSE – DAY

Ecto-R/T is in the house, and they're sitting around pondering.


End file.
